


Be My Hero Again

by darthenna



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Angst, Discrimination, Dry Humping, Explicit Sexual Content, First Time, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Bullying, Involuntary Commitment, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Psychological Trauma, Sexual Harassment, Smut, Social Issues, Time Skips, Unconventional Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2016-03-20
Packaged: 2018-04-01 13:49:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 16
Words: 54,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4022215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darthenna/pseuds/darthenna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone is equal under law, but sometimes prejudice is stronger and can ruin lives.</p><p>My (half-hearted) attempt at Omegaverse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote some parts of this story a couple of years ago and abandoned it, but a few months ago decided to return and complete it. It's not completed yet, but I've got most of it written and hope to write the rest soon.
> 
> If anyone is put off by the underage warning, they're going to be underage only for the first three chapters.
> 
> Enjoy!

Fernando had always been told that he was lucky to be born a beta. His beta parents told him that being a beta meant having more chances to succeed in life, as betas and alphas usually obtained superior positions in private and public sectors. The president himself was a beta. A lot of ex-presidents and ministers had been betas and alphas. Of course the alphas had maybe been more charismatic and won by a greater margin, but during the presidency of betas the country lived a more balanced and calm life. People voted for betas, because they were considered more reliable, free of the "animalistic instincts" of alphas and omegas - a belief that even some alphas and omegas held. In any case Fernando's parents always told him so. So it was no wonder that they were more than happy that their youngest son had the letter **B** in front of the words "biological status" on his ID. They could be calm for his future and keep fussing over their alpha daughter and especially over their omega son. 

Sure, the law stated that everyone is equal, but the public required time to accept social changes. Omegas were still perceived as weak and incapable of taking up leading roles, even by the closest family. This wasn't the case with Fernando who grew up idolizing his older brother, but it was the general mood of the society those days. Omegas had had the right to vote for over fifty years, TV anchors spoke of equality and justice every day, but discrimination was still a big issue. Even the all-omega schools weren't completely eliminated. Officially, they didn't exist, but kept surviving and flourishing by inertia. Parents kept taking their omega children to former O-schools to protect them from the dangers that beta and especially alpha kids might represent for them. In those schools worked exclusively omega teachers who weren't really welcome in the other schools, where alpha and beta kids studied. And even if there was an omega teacher in such schools, they usually worked with elementary students and not with high-schoolers who were in the difficult period of puberty and were drowning in hormones. 

In Fernando's year there were only two omega kids. One of them moved to an O-school after two years, unable to take the bullying anymore, the other one became Fernando's best friend. 

Sergio came from a traditional man/man alpha-omega family, but his parents were omega rights activists and insisted that their only omega son should attend an ordinary school. After all, that was what they were fighting for - to put an end to the segregation of omegas. They were sure that Sergio would only benefit from interacting with alphas and betas, that it would prepare him for adult life. If their concept of adult life was hardcore bullying that alphas put omegas through, then they were right. Sergio came home in tears every day, couldn't sleep at night fearing another day in the classroom, begged his parents to take him to another school, but they were adamant. 

Gradually, Sergio learnt to fight back and the bullying slowly stopped, especially after he became friends with Fernando, but his classmates never missed the chance to remind him that he was nothing more than an omega.

~~~

Sergio had his first heat at the age of sixteen. The day before he had told Fernando he wasn't feeling well, so after the classes Fernando headed right to Sergio's house, wanting to check up on his friend.

The door opened Sergio's alpha father. "Sergio is sick," he told Fernando with a good-natured smile, "It's nothing serious, he'll be back to school in a few days." 

"He's in heat," Fernando heard the voice of Sergio's omega father from the inside, "No need to hide it from Fernando, honey, he's a beta and he's Sergio's best friend." 

The news shocked Fernando, even though he didn't know why. It was expected after all. "Can I see him?" he mumbled. 

"Not today," the omega-dad smiled, "I'll tell him you've passed by." 

Fernando went home forlornly, his mind returning to his friend more than once during the day. Sergio had been so scared of first heat. It wasn't something he liked to talk about, but Fernando knew how worried he'd been. Not knowing how he felt now was driving Fernando insane, so when it was already dark outside, he sneaked out of the house and went to Sergio's. His window was open and Fernando climbed up the lone tree in their backyard and praying not to let it get him killed, made a catlike jump to Sergio's room. 

His friend gasped in surprise, raising his head from the pillow and then letting it fall back again. 

"What are you doing here?" he murmured. 

Fernando came closer to him. Sergio was curled up on the bed, shivering, whimpering and covered in sweat. 

"Wanted to check on you," Fernando said, sitting by the bed, "Your dad told me about, you know, your heat... Thought you might appreciate some company." 

Sergio cringed. "I don't want you to see me like this," he muttered, "This is horrible." 

"No, it's not," Fernando said, "I'm sure you're strong enough to survive this." 

"How do you know?" Sergio hissed, "It's not you who's got disgusting slick dripping out of his ass. I have to wear tampons, for fuck's sake! Everything hurts, I have a hard-on all day long and an overwhelming need to stick something up my ass. I hate this. I hate this!" 

Fernando didn't really need all the gruesome details, but this wasn't the time to tell Sergio about it. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." He sighed. "Sorry, Sergio, I-I can never know how you feel. I didn't want to patronize you." 

"No, it's me who has to be sorry," Sergio whispered hoarsely without looking at him, "I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just that I-I feel awful. Dads don't understand. They keep telling me that this is beautiful and I have to embrace it, but this isn't beautiful. This is the worst thing happened to me, Fer." 

He let out a small sob and hid his face in the pillow. Fernando didn't know what to do. His friend was shaking and crying in front of him and he didn't know how to behave. He fidgeted nervously in his place, but in the end leaned over Sergio, gently pushing his wet hair away from his forehead. 

"It will be over soon," he said, caressing his face. 

Sergio just started crying harder. 

Fernando pulled him into a hug. "Shh," he whispered, "I'm here. It'll be fine, I promise." 

He leaned down to kiss Sergio's cheek. The omega moaned and turned his head to look at Fernando. His eyes had an unhealthy glow in them and Fernando understood what he wanted to do before it happened. Sergio lifted his head a little and his lips met Fernando's. Their kiss was sloppy and awkward, but it lasted pretty long for Fernando and was interrupted when Sergio let out a gasp and fell back on his pillow. Then he started crying again. 

"Sorry, I'm sorry, Fer," he sobbed. 

"Did you just..." Fernando whispered breathlessly. 

Sergio only hid his head under the pillow. 

"Hey, Sese, it's fine," Fernando said, squeezing his shoulder, "You don't need to be ashamed. It's me." 

"I can't look into your eyes ever again," came Sergio's muffled voice from under the pillow. "I feel like such a slut. Throwing myself on you and-and..." 

And coming untouched after a kiss. He didn't need to finish the phrase. 

"It's okay, Sese," Fernando said, still a little dazed after the kiss, "It's natural." 

"I don't want it," Sergio whimpered. 

Fernando sighed. Sergio was suffering and he wished he could do something to stop it. But this wasn't school, where he could try to protect Sergio from bullies, this was Sergio's nature and Fernando was powerless against it. 

"Mum used to give Isra some kind of medicine during his heats," he remembered suddenly. 

"Dad said he would give me something if it gets too bad," Sergio said, "He wouldn't give it to me now, because it's not recommended, especially during first heats." 

"They say the first heat is always the most difficult one," Fernando said, trying to comfort his friend. 

"This is hell," Sergio whispered, "This-this heat... It's like in my brain, it's like melting my brain, taking over my mind and making me think of things that make me sick." 

"It will be over in a few days, Sergio," Fernando said. 

"I will be dead by then," Sergio muttered. 

Fernando shook his head. "You'll be fine," he assured him. 

He got up, looking at his watch, but Sergio caught his wrist. "Stay with me for a while?" he asked, "I don't want to be alone." 

It was making Fernando uncomfortable to watch how his friend was squirming under the covers, making noises that made breathing harder for Fernando, but he couldn't say no to him. 

"Sure," he said, sitting down again. 

Sergio sent him a grateful look and closed his eyes. Fernando brought his hand to caress his hair, but changed his mind at the last second. What if his touches just aroused Sergio and made his sufferings worse? He put his hands in his lap and started looking at the wall politely. 

"Was there anything interesting at school today?" Sergio asked in a desperate attempt to start a conversation. 

"Umm, Jenny Martinez ditched Tony again," Fernando answered, "They started fighting in front of the whole school." 

"Had to be quite a sight," Sergio snorted. 

"You bet!" 

They started talking about school, then passed to movies and latest news and Fernando did his best to ignore the way Sergio squirmed, panted and whimpered quietly in discomfort.

~~~

The second time Sergio went in heat two months after the first one. At first Fernando didn't understand the sudden restlessness that came over the alphas in the classroom, including the teacher, but then he saw Sergio's horrified face and it clicked.

"Mr. Ramos, you may leave the classroom if you want to," the teacher said. 

Sergio bolted out that very second. The murmurs and whispers intensified. 

"This is why omegas shouldn't be allowed to schools for alphas and betas," someone muttered. 

"Shut up," Fernando hissed, turning to see who it was. 

"Class, attention back to our lesson," the teacher demanded, "Mr. Torres, maybe you should take Mr. Ramos' backpack and help him get home?" 

"Yes," Fernando nodded, "Yes, thank you." 

He grabbed Sergio's stuff and ran out of the classroom, hoping his friend was still in the school building. If so, he must have gone to the closest bathroom. Fernando ran to it and pushing the door open, stormed in. What he saw there made him freeze in his place. 

There were four guys, older than them by a year or two. One of them was holding Sergio pressed to him, with one arm around his waist and the other one around his chest. Sergio's face was sweaty, he was panting hard and apparently barely holding back tears. 

"Let him go," Fernando shouted, as soon as he overcame the shock, and strode to Sergio. 

Two guys caught him and dragged him back. 

"Well, well, what do we have here?" said the guy, who was holding Sergio, "Are you an omega too?" 

"He's a beta," Sergio murmured pleadingly, while Fernando shouted, "Let us go right now." 

"Let you go you say?" the guy drawled. His eyes were gleaming dangerously and his breathing was heavy, "But your friend here doesn't want to, right, Sergio?" 

He bucked up his hips and Sergio whimpered pitifully. 

"See?" the guy grinned, "Do you know what he wants? He wants what every omega in heat wants." His hand crept down to Sergio's crotch and started rubbing it, making the younger boy let out a muffled sob. "You like it, Sergio? You like my hand on your cock? You like my cock pressed up your ass? You'd love it if I fucked you right here, up against the wall. You want an alpha cock in your ass, you want me to fill you up with my seed until it pours out of your ass." 

Sergio shook his head, as tears streamed down from his eyes. The guys holding Fernando were gripping his arms tighter and tighter and were growling low in their throats. 

"Stop," Sergio chocked out. 

"Stop?" the guy holding him asked surprised, "Do you really want me to stop? If you do, then why do you keep grinding against my cock?" He laughed quietly in Sergio's ear. "You're a cockslut like all the omegas in heat. You want me and all the other alphas here and even your beta friend. Don't even try to deny it." 

He kept dry-humping Sergio while talking, and the omega was bucking up his hips in rhythm, all the while sobbing soundlessly. Fernando could only watch in helpless rage how after a few minutes Sergio took a shuddering breath and went slack. The alpha guy laughed and kept on grinding against him until he apparently came with a loud snarl. 

When he caught his breath, he pushed Sergio away carelessly. The boy fell on the floor and curled up on himself immediately. The alpha smirked, looking down at him. 

"Your turn, guys," he told his friends. 

Sergio let out a little cry and tried to crawl away, but gave up very soon and hid his head behind his arms, as though hoping it would help him. 

"Don't you dare," Fernando choked out, "Don't you dare touch him." 

"Or what?" mocked one of the guys holding him. 

"Um, guys," the other one said, "Actually, we'd better hurry up and leave. The class is going to be over soon and there'll be shitloads of people here." 

The other boys sighed in disappointment. The alpha who'd harassed Sergio leaned down and ruffled the omega's hair. 

"It was a pleasure, Sergio," he said, "Hope to meet you again." 

He walked to the door and his friends reluctantly followed him, going out one by one. Fernando immediately ran to his friend. 

"Sergio," he called, dropping down next to him, "Are you okay?" 

He immediately regretted his stupid question, because it was obvious that Sergio wasn't okay. He was sobbing inconsolably and shaking, his face hidden behind his palms. 

"Sergio, it's okay," Fernando tried to comfort him, "It's over, we'll get you home now." 

Sergio just shook his head, still sobbing, and thrust his fingers into his hair, pulling at it. 

"Sese, please," Fernando whispered desperately, "Let's get you out of here. C'mon, I'll take you home. Please, Sergio, let me help you. Don't cry, Sese, it's over. I'm here. Let me help you, please." 

The omega lowered his hands to reveal his bright red and tear-stricken face. "I h-hate myself," he hiccupped. 

"No, Sergio, it's not your fault," Fernando assured him, "You're not to blame, don't talk like that, please." 

"Why is this happening to me?" Sergio sobbed. 

Fernando didn't have an answer for that. Instead he pulled Sergio up and hugged him tightly. "You'll be fine," he murmured, caressing his hair, "You'll be fine, I promise." 

He rocked him back and forth until Sergio calmed down a little. Fernando helped him to his feet. "Let's get you out of here," he said, "I'll call your parents." 

"They're not in the city," Sergio whimpered. 

"Then I'll call your sister or your brother, okay?" 

"No," Sergio grabbed his arm, "Don't call them, please." 

Fernando wouldn't want his family to see him in this state either, so he understood Sergio. 

"I'll call Mari," he said, "She's got a car. She'll take us home." 

"No!" Sergio cried, "She-she's an alpha, please don't call her, Fer." 

"Sergio, she's my sister." 

"Please. Call Isra, please." 

Sergio was trembling and looking at him with wide and pleading eyes. Fernando couldn't say no to him. 

"I'm calling Isra," he said, "I'll ask him to take Mari's car and come for us." 

When Sergio smiled at him, he thought the world brightened a little.

~~~

The hospital where Israel worked as a nurse and Maria as a surgeon wasn't too far away from the school and Fernando and Sergio had to wait only for fifteen minutes. They spent their time in a park next to the school. Sergio hadn't recovered from his ordeal yet, he was shivering and didn't let go of Fernando's hand. Or was it because of the heat? Fernando didn't know, but he held Sergio and whispered comforting words into his ear and caressed his back until Israel arrived in Maria's car.

Fernando had already told him about Sergio's heat on the phone, so he didn't ask questions and just helped Sergio into the car. 

"Is it your first heat?" he asked, starting off the car. 

"The second one," Sergio mumbled embarrassed. 

"How long is the interval?" 

"Two months." 

"Not too bad," Israel said, "Only six times a year. Mine is three months. I knew a guy who went into heat once in a fortnight. That was horrible. He'd had so many suppressants, it started to affect his general health." 

Fernando could tell that Sergio wasn't really listening. He was fidgeting and biting his lower lip and from time to time shuddering and wrapping his arms around himself. He jerked up startled, when Fernando told him they were in front of his place. He and Israel helped Sergio up to his room and the omega excused himself and went to the bathroom. 

"I have to go," Israel told Fernando, "Stay with him. He seems very upset about this." 

Fernando didn't tell him that Sergio had a whole lot to be upset about. He just thanked his brother and started waiting for Sergio. 

His friend emerged from the bathroom with red and puffy eyes and was seemingly surprised to see Fernando there. 

"I thought you'd left with Isra," he mumbled. 

"You really thought I'd leave you alone?" Fernando said. 

Sergio sat on his bed and lowered his head. "Fer, I didn't want it," he said tearfully, "I'm not a slut. I didn't want what that alpha said." 

"Sergio, Sergio, I was there," Fernando said, sitting next to him and hugging him by the shoulders, "I saw everything. I know you didn't want it, I know." 

"It's just this heat, I lost control of my body, I didn't want to..." 

"Shh," Fernando whispered, "You're not to blame, you understand me?" 

Sergio nodded. "Just don't tell anyone what happened," he pleaded. 

"But Sergio..." 

"Please." 

"Okay," Fernando sighed, "Now lie down, you need to rest. Are you hungry? I can make something for you." 

"No, just... stay. Read something for me." 

Fernando nodded. He took the book lying open on Sergio's desk and started reading from the page Sergio had stopped on, trying not to get distracted by the little sounds his friend was making. 

"Fer," Sergio said quietly after a while. 

Fernando lowered the book. Sergio looked feverish, beads of sweat gathered on his forehead. 

"Yes," Fernando said. 

"I..." Sergio licked his lips. "Can I ask you something?" 

"Sure." 

Sergio sat up. He was trembling badly and looked on the verge of tears. 

"What's wrong, Sergio?" Fernando asked concerned. 

The boy took a deep breath, looked into Fernando's eyes, but wasn't able to bear his gaze. He looked down at his trembling hands in his lap, then very quietly said, "Fuck me." 

Fernando choked on thin air. "W-what? Sergio!" 

Sergio looked up at him. His gaze was desperate and delirious. 

"Please," Sergio said, "It's going to happen one day. Some alpha is going to do it. I'd rather it be you. I'd rather it be you than someone like-like them. Please, Nando. You need neither lube, nor condoms. We're both clean, you can't get me pregnant and you won't hurt me. It'll just make me feel better. Don't make me beg, Fer." 

He was already begging and it was hurting Fernando endlessly. If he was completely honest with himself, the idea was fairly tempting, but how could he take advantage of Sergio? 

"Fer," Sergio pleaded, "It will be good, you'll see. Don't you want me even a little? You kissed me back last time." 

"I-I..." Fernando's throat was dry. "I want..." 

"Then do it," Sergio urged. 

He moved forward to Fernando and pressed their lips together. The other boy's hand instinctively moved to cup his face. Sergio's skin was burning, but he was shivering as though he was cold. Fernando couldn't think about it now, Sergio's mouth was hot, as his tongue started licking it up. His jeans suddenly were too tight. He pushed Sergio on the bed and fell on top of him, his lips still over Sergio's. The omega let out a content sigh and pulled at Fernando's jeans, urging him to get it off. 

Fernando was more than happy to comply. He broke off the kiss and sat up to kick away his shoes and his jeans, as well as to take off his shirt. Sergio didn't lose time either. Before Fernando could blink, he was on his hands and knees on the bed. 

"C'mon," he panted. 

Fernando gulped. The doubts had risen again. This wasn't right, Sergio was his friend, an omega, he was a beta, there were so many reasons speaking against doing it, but none of those mattered to his cock, which had gotten harder at the sight in front of his eyes. 

He took a deep breath and got on the bed. Sergio was trembling, from fear or excitement - he couldn't tell. Fernando caressed his back, the ghoul tattoo on his shoulder blade (his dads still didn't know about it), put his hands on his hips, on his burning hot skin and aligned his cock in front of his dripping asshole. God, this was so wrong. 

"Sergio... I-I don't..." 

"Just stick it in," Sergio snapped. 

Fernando would have laughed if the situation weren't so complicated. He raised Sergio's hips slightly up and started slowly pushing in. It was so tight inside and the pressure on his cock made Fernando gasp. Sergio was moaning beneath him, supporting himself on one arm, while grabbing his own cock with the other hand. 

"So good, Nando," he panted, "So good. More, give me more." 

Fernando was scared he would come right then and there. Encouraged by Sergio's words, he pushed in until he was deep inside the omega. Sergio took a shuddering breath, trembling. 

"Good?" Fernando said breathlessly, "I'm not hurting you?" 

"No," Sergio groaned, "Now move." 

Fernando pulled back a little and thrust back in. Sergio was clenching around his cock, as though trying to get it deeper and deeper inside. 

"Quicker," he demanded. 

Fernando didn't need to be told twice. Convinced that he's not hurting Sergio, he started pulling out and slamming into him as fast and hard as he could. It was good enough if the noises Sergio was making were anything to go by. To Fernando's embarrassment it took him only a few thrusts to spill his load inside the omega, but he was relieved to see that Sergio had come too. 

"Don't pull out," Sergio said, as soon as he moved to get up. 

"W-why?" Fernando asked. 

"Just. Stay inside," Sergio asked. 

Fernando lay down on the bed with his dick still in Sergio's ass, spooning him. Sergio's long hair was all over his face and was tickling him. 

"You liked it?" Sergio murmured. 

"Yeah, a lot," Fernando answered, blushing, "Was it... good for you?" 

"Mmm, so good. No words to tell how it feels to have you inside." 

Fernando shivered and felt his cock twitch at Sergio's words. The omega had to feel it, because he bucked up his hips, making Fernando take a sharp breath. 

"Wanna do it again?" Sergio asked. 

"Now?" 

"Yeah, get up, fuck me again." 

Fernando obeyed. 

It was longer this time, though no less rushed and messy. Fernando jerked Sergio off, while pounding on him, drawing out mewls of pleasure from the omega. Sergio asked him to stay inside again after they came. Fernando didn't mind, he was sure he was going to miss Sergio's heat around his cock as soon as he pulled out. 

They slept for a couple of hours, exhausted, and when woke up, fucked again. It was nearing the evening when Fernando reluctantly got up to go, because Sergio's siblings would be home soon. 

"Come tomorrow after school," Sergio said after he kissed Fernando goodbye. 

"Okay," Fernando promised. 

But he didn't wait until the next day. Late at night, when his family went to sleep, he sneaked out of the house and climbed up the tree again, throwing a small rock at the window and grinning when Sergio opened it instantly. They fucked, trying to keep it down in order not to wake up Sergio's siblings. Fernando stayed with the omega, inside him, till he fell asleep, and only then quietly slipped out through the window.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your kind words and kudos. Hope you'll enjoy this chapter too.

They made a habit of it after that. Fernando fucked Sergio through his heats during the whole year, sneaking to his house after school and at nights, and gradually their relationship began to change. 

Fernando didn't notice it at first. Didn't pay attention to how their touches became lingering, tender, didn't give much importance to little kisses in between, didn't think much about how his dreams became filled with Sergio's body, his lips, his laughter. He didn't give it much thought until one day. 

They were watching an erotic movie one evening at Fernando's house. It was basically porn and pretty arousing, Fernando could tell. Sergio seemed to think the same way, because he opened his legs wider and fidgeted in his place. They watched in silence for a few minutes longer, then Sergio cleared his throat. 

"Let's fuck," he said simply. 

"What?" Fernando said, "But there's still over a month till your heat." 

"So you fuck me just because of the heats?" Sergio said. 

Essentially, yes, wasn't that why they'd started fucking? But somehow Fernando didn't think it was the right answer. 

"No," he said, "Let's go to my room." 

Sergio grinned and ran upstairs, shouting for Fernando to catch up if he was so good. Fernando burst into his room after him and Sergio sprawled on the bed, laughing. Fernando got rid of his shirt and pants, then dragged Sergio's pants off him. He jumped on top of him and stared at him for a minute. 

"What?" Sergio chuckled. 

"You're so beautiful," Fernando said. 

Sergio laughed. "No, you are." 

Fernando pecked him quickly on the lips and got up, kneeling between his legs. 

"Wait, do you have lube?" Sergio asked. 

Fernando looked up with wide eyes. "Fuck, no. I didn't realize we would need it." 

"Maybe Isra does," Sergio said innocently. 

"Ugh, don't make me think about it." 

"He must have. Go check." 

"Sergio!" 

"Go." 

Cursing under his breath, Fernando went to Israel's room and really found a small bottle of lube in his drawers. Sergio was lazily caressing his cock when Fernando went back, and opened his legs wider, grinning at him. It was more obscene than anything Fernando had seen in porn and much more arousing. He gulped and kneeled on the bed, squeezing some lube on his fingers, not tearing his gaze away from Sergio. 

He massaged Sergio's entrance gently, spreading some lube around it, and pushed the tip of his index finger in. Sergio gasped and squirmed a little, but nodded at Fernando to continue. Pushing the lubed finger in, Fernando leaned down and kissed the inner side of Sergio's thigh. When Sergio's breathing evened out, he pushed in also the second finger and started scissoring him, looking for his sweet spot with one hand on Sergio's knee. He found it soon and pressed his fingertips against it. Sergio's knee twitched and he let out a low moan. After opening him up properly, Fernando coated his cock in lube and slinging Sergio's legs over his shoulders, guided it to his entrance. 

Sergio was so tight, tighter than ever, Fernando almost forgot to breathe. He explored him inch by inch, torturously slow, even though he wanted just to slam all the way in. When he was completely inside, he looked at Sergio to make sure he was fine. The omega had thrown back his head and closed his eyes, his chest was raising and falling rapidly, his cock was hard and swollen. 

Fernando started moving inside him and Sergio moaned, clutching at the sheets and trembling in ecstasy. When Fernando felt that he'd adapted to the cock inside him, he quickened his pace. 

"Ah," Sergio moaned, "Like that. Harder, baby." 

Baby... Fernando stopped immediately. The seriousness of what they were doing hit him like a brick. He wasn't just helping out an omega friend in heat, wasn't just fucking him to satisfy his biological need. They were making love like the couples in the romantic movies his mother liked to watch, Sergio had called him "baby" and had offered himself. It scared Fernando a little, but also made him feel ridiculously happy. 

"Fer, what's wrong?" Sergio asked. 

Fernando smiled and leaned over him. 

"Nothing, baby," he said, kissing him on the lips. 

 

Later, when they were lying in post-orgasmic bliss, Fernando pressed his lips to Sergio's neck and murmured, "So are we... a thing?" 

Sergio shrugged. "I don't know. Do you want us to be?" 

"I do," Fernando smiled, "Do you?" 

"Yeah, I guess." 

"You guess?" 

"I just..." Sergio swallowed, "Dads won't like this. I'm an omega and you're a beta, we're not supposed to be together." 

"Your dads are open-minded people, they'll understand." 

"I'm not sure," Sergio sighed. 

"Do you want to be with me?" Fernando asked. 

Sergio snorted. "Wasn't what just happened enough of a proof for you?" 

"Then I don't care what anyone thinks," Fernando said, "No one can break us apart. I promise." 

Sergio's look was so full of unconditional trust and adoration that Fernando felt dizzy for a second and tightly squeezed Sergio's hand for support.

~~~

Keeping their relationship secret was getting harder day by day. Fernando wanted to hold Sergio's hand in public, wanted to kiss him whenever he felt like it, without fearing the consequences, but he had to pretend for the sake of both of them. He was sure that they were obvious, that no one could miss their 'accidental' touches, their shared looks, their jokes that only they understood, but apparently everyone just assumed that they were best friends and nothing more.

Even now when they were practically feeding each other in the lunch-room, no one seemed to notice anything. Sergio still looked around before biting into Fernando's sandwich and snorted when a slice of cucumber fell out from the sandwich. 

"You have a crumb here," Fernando said, pointing to the corner of Sergio's mouth, "Let me..." 

He leaned over the table to suck the crumb out of the corner of his mouth, but Sergio wiped it away, looking around frightened. Fernando sighed and returned to his sandwich, but looked up at Sergio's sudden gasp. 

"What's wrong?" he asked. 

Sergio didn't answer, he didn't need to, because when Fernando saw what he was looking at so terrified, he immediately understood the reason of his friend's distress. The alphas who'd harassed Sergio in the bathroom were approaching them with smiles on their faces. 

Sergio and Fernando had met them at school a few times after the incident, but every time they had been quick enough to get out of their way before they would notice them. Now, though, they couldn't flee as the alphas had already seen them. 

Fernando squeezed Sergio's hand under the table. 

"It's okay," he whispered, "They can't do anything here." 

Sergio just nodded shakily, but Fernando knew that just their presence made the omega sick. Because of those bastards he'd been scared of his own father and siblings during a couple of heats after the ordeal. He wasn't going to forget that any time soon. 

The alphas were approaching deliberately slowly, snickering and clapping each other on the shoulder, as though reveling in Sergio's fear. 

"I want them to go away," the omega murmured. 

Fernando squeezed his hand tighter. "I won't let anything bad happen to you, I promise. Just ignore them." 

Sergio smiled faintly, but didn't look particularly convinced. Meanwhile the alphas had reached their table and were staring at them with open leers and it was getting considerably harder to ignore them. 

"Oh, look who's here, guys," one of them said finally in mock surprise. 

"It's Sergio, our omega-slut," another one supplied happily. 

"Shut the fuck up," Fernando hissed, his plan on ignoring them promptly forgotten. 

"And his pretty beta friend," their leader continued, "What a pity you're not an omega too. We could have so much fun." 

Sergio looked up quickly in horror, then stared at the table again. But the alpha didn't miss it. 

"What is it, Sergio?" he said, "Worried about your little friend? Don't be, real alphas fuck only omegas. And you are... an omega, right?" 

Sergio didn't answer, but Fernando saw him try to suppress the tremor running down his spine. 

"Isn't he an omega, guys?" the alpha asked his friends. 

"Sure he is," came the answer, "Don't you remember the way he was humping your cock?" 

Sergio turned bright red and Fernando's hands curled into fists. 

"Oh, I remember," the leader alpha continued, "He loved it. I'm sure he'd love to repeat it and maybe do something more. Wouldn't you, Sergio? Tell me when your next heat is and I'll be there to make it easier for you." 

Sergio was trembling, his breathing erratic, and Fernando jumped up to his feet. 

"Leave us alone," he growled. 

"Whoa, hold your horses, we're just talking," the alpha said, "No harm in a little chat, is there?" 

"You're making rape threats," Fernando spat, "It's a crime." 

"Rape threats?" the guy said surprised, "Did I say anything about rape? Sergio wouldn't mind it a bit, would you, Sergio? He'd be begging for it." 

"Fer, let's go," Sergio said quietly. 

"No, wait," Fernando said, "I got you. You're cowards. You like talking big, but you'd never dare do something, because you're scared of consequences. You know you'll be punished." 

"Oh, really?" the alpha grinned, "Who do you think people will believe, an omega in heat or an alpha from a respectable family? I could just say that he was in heat and he wanted it and no one would doubt my words." 

"It's not true," Fernando said. 

"It is. You know it. The words of an omega against the words of an alpha. There is no way in hell an omega would win this. That's how the world is, little beta, alphas and betas come before omegas." 

"Sergio is a better person than all of you," Fernando said, trying to steady his voice. 

The guy chuckled. "It isn't a valid argument in the real world, kitten. I'm going to be an important person like my dad and his dad, maybe you'll be able to do something with your life if you stop making friends with omegas, but our friend Sergio doesn't have bright future ahead. He won't go to college, he won't have a prestigious job. His future is marrying an alpha and birthing children. That's what omegas are supposed to do." 

"It's not true," Fernando said, but his voice was lacking conviction. 

"Say what you want, you can't change the truth," the alpha smirked. 

"Fer, let's go," Sergio pleaded. 

Fernando nodded and tried to walk away, but the alphas blocked his way, while their leader grabbed Sergio's arm and pulled the omega to him. Sergio froze in fear and before Fernando could react, the alpha leaned in and whispered into his ear, "Call me when you're in heat." 

Then he shoved Sergio away and left with his friends. Fernando caught and steadied Sergio, who was trembling in his arms, though the beta himself was shaking in rage and helplessness. 

"Let's go home, okay?" he told Sergio, noticing that people were staring at them. 

Sergio nodded and followed him out of the lunch room and the school. He didn't talk all the way to Fernando's house and seemed relieved when it turned out that Fernando's parents weren't at home. They went up to Fernando's room and Sergio sat on the bed, crossing his arms on his chest. Fernando sat next to him, feeling lost and defeated. 

"Sese," he tried. 

Sergio didn't say anything, just bowed his head. 

"They were bluffing," Fernando said, "They won't do anything to you." 

"I know," Sergio said. 

"Then why are you like this?" Fernando asked. 

Sergio shrugged. 

"Don't let those stupid fuckers ruin your mood," Fernando said, "They don't know what they're talking about." 

"But they do!" Sergio cried suddenly, "They're fucking right! They're right about everything. I'm just an omega, I'm less than human in the eyes of alphas and betas, my only purpose in life is finding an alpha and serving him... I'm just a hole for alphas to fuck. I'm nothing more than that." 

"It's not true, Sergio." 

"It is. You know it. I know it. They know it." 

"Sergio, one of your dads is an omega fighting for omega rights. I wouldn't call it nothing." 

"But that's it, don't you see? He just got lucky, because he met the right alpha. If he didn't meet dad, he'd be doing some stupid, meaningless job if his alpha allowed him that is." 

"Sergio, please look at me," Fernando said, pressing his palm to Sergio's cheek. 

The omega slowly turned his head and met Fernando's eyes. 

"Do you know why I love you?" Fernando said, "Because you're sweet and funny, friendly and kind, but you're also strong and stubborn and brave. I refuse to believe for a second that the Sergio I know will give up without a fight. Yes, it isn't easy to be an omega in our society, but you've never had it easy and you always fought your way forward. That's my best friend. That's the Sergio I know and love. He's a fighter. And I promise, whenever you feel like giving up, I'll be right there next to you and I'll support you and help you with whatever you need. I promise, Sergio. I'll always be there for you. Always." 

He waited for Sergio's answer, but instead of it the omega pressed his lips gently to Fernando's. They kissed languidly for a minute, then Sergio's hand crept under Fernando's shirt, caressing his stomach and chest. Fernando tightened his arm around Sergio's waist and fell on the bed, pulling Sergio on top of him. 

He took off Sergio's shirt and let the omega do the same with his own. Sergio sat up, rubbed his ass on Fernando's crotch and grinned when his lover let his head fall back and moaned. Sergio got rid of his pants and helped Fernando out of his, then he reached for the lube and handed it to Fernando. 

The other boy took it, but didn't unscrew the lid, instead just looking at Sergio with a thoughtful expression. 

"What?" Sergio asked. 

Fernando took a deep breath and gave the lube back. "You do it," he said. 

Sergio rolled his eyes. "I swear you're so fucking lazy sometimes..." 

"No, I mean..." Fernando gulped, "I mean I want to try something else this time, if-if that's okay." 

"Like what?" Sergio smiled. 

"Like... you on top." 

For a second Sergio stared at him like he'd gone mad, then started laughing whole-heartedly. "Yeah, okay, that was funny," he said when he calmed down, "But you also totally ruined the mood, moron." 

"I wasn't joking," Fernando said. 

Sergio's eyes widened. "Fer, I'm an omega, have you forgotten that?" he asked quietly. 

"No," Fernando said, "But it's not like I'm an alpha, right? I mean, we-we can... Just this once." He sighed. "Sergio, just say yes before I... I mean I'm shitting my pants right now." 

"That wasn't the best expression to use if you want me to fuck you," Sergio grinned. 

"Shut up." 

Sergio laughed briefly, but then looked at Fernando seriously. "Are you sure you..." 

"If you keep on stalling, I'll chicken out," Fernando warned, "Do it, okay? I want you to." 

"Fine," Sergio nodded, "I will." 

"J-just be careful," Fernando asked, "You know I-I've never..." 

"I know," Sergio said. 

He squirted some lube on his fingers and Fernando closed his eyes, trying to get his breathing under control. 

"Um, maybe it'd be better, if you, you know, turned around?" Sergio said. 

"Yeah," Fernando mumbled, turning on his stomach and still keeping his eyes closed. 

He felt Sergio's cold finger prodding at his entrance and immediately tensed. 

"Shh, I'm not doing anything yet," Sergio said, spreading the lube gently. 

"Yeah, I know," Fernando said, trying to relax, but failing. 

Sergio's other hand started caressing his spine and moved up to massage his scalp. Fernando immediately melted. 

"I could convince you to rob a bank playing with your hair," Sergio chuckled. 

"Yeah, probably," Fernando smiled. 

It was his weak spot and Sergio knew it very well. He was so relaxed that he barely noticed when Sergio's slick fingertip slipped in. However, when Sergio pushed the finger deeper, he sucked in a breath. 

"Shh," Sergio said again, "I'll go slow." 

He kept his promise and opened up Fernando very slowly, allowing him to adapt to the intrusion. It burnt and hurt and Fernando was tempted to ask Sergio to stop at times, but he knew Sergio needed this and he also knew that theoretically it was supposed to feel good at some point. And it did. After a lifetime of exploring and caressing, Sergio's fingers finally found a spot that made Fernando gasp loudly and made Sergio take an amazed breath for being able to elicit that sound from Fernando. 

"How does it feel?" he asked. 

"Good," Fernando said breathlessly, "And weird." 

"Tell me if I do something wrong, okay?" Sergio said, "You know I'm not a pro..." 

"Stop talking to my ass," Fernando interrupted, "Keep going." 

"Fine," Sergio laughed, "But be patient, this is going to take a long time." 

He was right. By the time Sergio had added a third finger, Fernando was already wishing he would just forget the preparations and get on with it. His cock had risen to attention and he couldn't keep back the moans as Sergio pressed that spot over and over again. The pain was still there, but it had been moved to background by pleasure. 

Fernando heard Sergio shuffle with the lube again, as he poured a generous amount on his cock, and his muscles involuntarily clenched around Sergio's fingers. 

"Want me to stop?" Sergio asked worried. 

"No," Fernando said hoarsely, "Go on." 

"I'll be careful," Sergio promised. 

"I know, I trust you," Fernando said, taking deep breaths to relax. 

Sergio leaned down and kissed his tailbone, then withdrew his fingers and immediately pressed his cock to Fernando's entrance. He caressed the beta's back in warning and started slowly pushing in. Despite his gentleness, Fernando's breathing quickened and he whimpered in pain, closing his eyes shut and clutching at the sheets. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Sergio murmured, "It'll stop hurting soon." 

Fernando nodded miserably, fighting against the tears burning his closed eyelids. Sergio's right hand wrapped around his waist, pulling him higher, and the left one went to caress his erection. Fernando gasped in surprise and pleasure as his cock started leaking precum under Sergio's ministrations and the omega resumed his slow thrusting, breaching Fernando's muscles ring after ring. It was still painful, but now Fernando was distracted by Sergio's hand jerking him off. He felt Sergio's harsh breathing over him and his grunts as he kept pushing forward. 

"Wow," the omega whispered in wonder when he was fully inside Fernando. 

The other boy smiled despite the pain. Sergio leaned down and kissed him behind the ear, pushing his sweaty hair away from his face. And then suddenly Sergio moved and hit that spot again and Fernando let out a cry as the pleasure coursed through his body. 

"Do that again," he told Sergio. 

The omega laughed and pushed against Fernando's prostate, making him moan and tremble. Then he did it again. And again. And again. He tightened his grip around Fernando's waist, quickening his pace and relishing the heat around his cock and the tremors running down Fernando's body. 

Overwhelmed by the sensations of Sergio's cock doing wonders inside him and Sergio's hand jerking him off with the same pace, Fernando didn't even find the words to inform Sergio that he was going to come, as he emptied his load in Sergio's hand, his stomach and the sheets. 

Sergio groaned loudly and kept fucking Fernando, who'd gone boneless in his arms, until he came inside his lover, shouting his name and falling down next to him afterwards. 

They kept lying in silence for a few minutes, trying to get their breathing under control, then Sergio turned on his side and kissed Fernando's bare shoulder. 

"Thank you," he said quietly. 

Fernando only smiled, turning his head to put a kiss on the corner of Sergio's mouth. 

"Are you okay?" Sergio asked. 

Fernando nodded. "It was amazing," he said. 

"Yeah, I know," Sergio smiled, "But you're going to be sore tomorrow." 

"I don't care," Fernando said, caressing Sergio's face, "I love you." 

Sergio's trademark grin from ear to ear was all the answer Fernando needed as he leaned down to kiss him. 

"We should shower before my parents come back," Fernando said after a while. 

Sergio sighed, then grinned again. "Together, right?" 

"Is there any other way to shower?" Fernando laughed. 

Sergio poked him between the ribs, making him let out an embarrassing shriek, then pulled him up, dragging him to the shower.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for delaying the update. Hope you'll like it.

Their summer passed in bliss between bright, sunny days, spent wandering in the streets, escaping to the beach, swimming in the warm water and sharing kisses under the shade, and warm, starry nights, spent huddled together, watching movies, laughing, making love slowly. 

The beginning of their last year at school didn't disturb their routine. Sergio was happy that he was finally going to graduate and Fernando was happy that the alpha gang had graduated and wasn't going to terrorize Sergio again. They just had to wait for a little more to become legally adults and to break it to their families that they were together and there was nothing they could do about it. 

It was a slim hope, alike the dreams of growing up and being able to do what they want that children had when adults forbade them to do something, but they clung to it with all their might. They hadn't calculated everything, they hadn't really thought what they would do if their parents were categorically against it. But Fernando had the chance to have a glimpse on what his parents' reaction would be, when one day before his evening date with Sergio Israel dragged him to his room and made him sit on a chair, sitting in front of him. 

"So," he said. 

"So?" Fernando raised his brows. 

"Spit it out, Fer, I can smell it on you." 

"I don't know what you're talking about," Fernando said, his heart leaping up to his throat. 

"Okay," Israel sighed, "I'm talking about you and Sergio." 

"There's nothing between me and Sergio," Fernando said far too quickly. 

Israel smiled. "I told you I can smell it, Fer." 

"We're just friends," Fernando said desperately. 

Israel shook his head sadly. "Nothing good is going to come out of this, Fernando, you'd better end it." 

"No!" Fernando cried, "We love each other, you can't do anything." 

"Fernando," Israel said calmly, "You know as well as I do that you can't be together. You don't have future together. You're a beta, he's an omega, you're not for each other." 

"That's just a stupid prejudice," Fernando spat. 

"No, it's the truth. Fer, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, but you have to end this." 

"I-I can't," Fernando whispered, "I love him." 

"Then do it for him, Fer," Israel said, "Think about his future. You're destroying his life. No one's going to want an omega defiled by a beta." 

Fernando barely restrained himself from punching his brother in the face. "Sergio's not defiled," he hissed, "He doesn't need an alpha. He chose me and you can't make me leave him." 

"You're right, I can't," Israel said, "But mum and dad can, Sergio's parents can." 

"No one can!" Fernando cried, but then his shoulders slumped, "Will you tell mum and dad?" 

Israel was silent for a moment, while Fernando kept fighting against tears. 

"No," Israel said finally, "But think about what I've said, Fer. You have to make the right decision. You have to be strong both for yourself and Sergio." 

He clapped his brother on the shoulder and went out, leaving him to ponder on his words.

~~~

Sergio didn't take the news about Israel lightly. Fernando told him the same night, when they were lying next to each other in Sergio's bed, sated and happy, and Sergio's frown kept getting deeper and deeper.

"He'll tell your parents," Sergio said, when Fernando fell silent, "They'll tell my parents and they'll break us up." 

"He won't tell," Fernando said, "But, Sergio, sooner or later our parents are going to find out." 

"Yeah, but better later than sooner," Sergio said, "They'll do everything to keep us away from each other if they know. Omegas can't be with betas. Betas are meant to be with betas and omegas with alphas." 

"I know," Fernando said, "But I love you, Sergio. Why can't they let us be?" 

Sergio snuggled closer to him. "I love you too," he said quietly, "I want to be with you, only with you." 

"Me too, Sese," Fernando said, wrapping his arm around him. 

"We're safe while my parents don't know anything," Sergio said quietly. 

"Even if they find out, I won't let you go," Fernando promised. 

Sergio smiled and rewarded him with a kiss.

~~~

They had to wait for just a few months for Sergio's parents to find out about them. One day Sergio didn't come to school without warning. His heat wasn't until next month and he had been feeling great the night before when they parted, so Fernando thought it was weird that he missed school.

He bolted out of the school building as soon as the lessons were over to run to Sergio's only to be greeted by his sister Maria who was wearing a grim expression on her face. 

"Get in," she said, opening the passenger door of her car. 

Fernando obeyed wordlessly, his heart clenching in his chest. 

"What's going on?" he asked, when his sister sat next to him. 

"You messed up, Fer," Maria said, "Big time." 

"What happened?" Fernando swallowed. 

"Why did you do that? You knew you had no future. You knew you were just going to hurt both yourself and that poor boy." 

Fernando's heart stopped beating. "You know about Sergio?" he whispered, "Did Isra tell you?" 

"Mum told me," Maria said, "They're waiting at the house to talk to you. Asked me to bring you in." 

"They know too?" Fernando murmured, closing his eyes, "How did they find out?" 

"Sergio's brother saw you kissing yesterday night," Maria said, "I can't believe you could have been so stupid, Fernando. I can somehow understand Sergio's weakness, being an omega and..." 

"Sergio's not weak," Fernando cried. 

"I didn't say he's weak," Maria said, "I just mean that as an omega his weakness would be understandable." 

"Would you talk the same way about Isra?" Fernando said, "Would you say that he's weak too?" 

He saw the distress on his sister's face, but didn't even feel guilty. Rage and fear mixed in his chest were making him feel light-headed. 

"Isra was raised in a family of betas," Maria said, "Sergio's family is different. I'm sure he's been brought up in the traditional omega way." 

"His parents are progressive people, they're omega rights activists," Fernando said. 

"Those progressive people are freaking the hell out right now because of you," Maria said. 

Fernando closed his face with his hands. "What's going to happen now?" he said quietly. 

"I don't know," Maria said, stopping the car in front of their house, "Let's go and sit through mum's lecture." 

She offered a half-smile to Fernando, but the boy didn't have the heart to return it.

~~~

José and Flori told him the same things Israel and Maria had already said. Fernando was only half-listening, busy thinking about how Sergio was dealing with his parents and what was going to become of all of this. His attention snapped back to reality only when his mother said that they were going to Sergio's, so he could apologize to Sergio and his parents. Biting back the angry remark that he had nothing to apologize for, he silently got to his feet and followed his mother and father to Sergio's place.

Sergio's alpha father opened the door, sending a death glare to Fernando and nodding curtly to his parents. 

"Sorry to bother you," Fernando's dad said, "Fernando's come to apologize." 

"The damage is already done," Sergio's father said, but moved aside to let them enter. 

Sergio's whole family was gathered in the living room except for the omega himself. All of them were looking angrily at Fernando, who was shifting from foot to foot, not really sure what to say. 

"We thought you were Sergio's best friend," the omega dad said, "How could you?" 

"Fernando is very sorry for everything he's done, right, Fernando?" José pushed. 

"I..." Fernando licked his dry lips. "I-I'm... I'm not sorry. I love Sergio. I really love him and I want to be with him." 

His cheeks were burning and he wanted to be anywhere but here. He wanted to be in his room, watching a movie with Sergio and making out lazily. He wanted to turn back the time and undo their kiss the night before. He wanted everyone to understand Sergio and him and to leave them alone. 

The shocked silence that followed his words was interrupted by his mother's scandalized 'Fernando!' and the sound of footsteps. He raised his head to see Sergio standing on the stairs, his eyes bloodshot, but smiling. 

"Fer," he whispered. 

"Hey," Fernando said, taking a step towards his lover only to be stopped by his father's hand squeezing his shoulder. 

"Sergio, go back to your room," his alpha dad said in an authoritative tone. 

"Dad, please, leave Nando alone," Sergio asked, "He's not to blame." 

"Sergio, go to your room," Sergio's omega dad repeated. 

Sergio took a step back, sending an apologetic look to Fernando. The other boy took a deep breath, shook his father's hand off his shoulder and strode to Sergio. 

"We haven't done anything bad," he announced, taking Sergio's hand, "I'm not going to let go of you just because the society is against us." 

"Sergio, to your room!" shouted the alpha dad. 

"No," Sergio said firmly, "Fernando is right. I love him and you can't break us apart." 

"It'd be better if you left now," Sergio's omega dad said in a strained voice. 

"Fernando," said José angrily, "Come back here at once. We're leaving." 

Fernando quickly hugged Sergio. 

"Wait for me tonight," he whispered into his ear. 

Sergio smiled and nodded, squeezing his hand. 

"Love you," he said quietly, but loud enough for everyone in the room to listen. 

"Fernando!" Flori called. 

"Love you too," Fernando said and went to his parents, who hurried to the door, apologizing profusely and promising to discipline their son as soon as they got home.

~~~

They lectured him for over an hour, telling him that he'd embarrassed them in front of Sergio's parents, that they hadn't raised him this way, that he had to think about his future. Tried to convince him that this was just a teenage folly, that he didn't really love Sergio, that he had to let him go if he cared about him. Threatened him that they were going to ground him, to move him to another school, to stop him from seeing Sergio.

Fernando didn't argue much. He just calmly said that no matter what they thought, he wasn't going to leave Sergio. And it started all over again. When his parents finally got tired and left him alone, Fernando's head was aching so much that he just collapsed on the living room couch and closed his eyes. The overwhelming emotions of the day had taken their toll on him and soon he was soundly asleep, oblivious to his problems for a few hours. 

He woke up from the shrill ringing of the phone. He rubbed his eyes and sleepily walked to the phone, mumbling a hoarse hello. 

"Fer?" Sergio's tearful voice sobered him up quickly. 

"Sergio! What's wrong?" 

"Fer, they're taking me away," Sergio whispered, "They're taking me to another city." 

"W-what?" Fernando cried, "When? Where?" 

"Right now," Sergio said, "I-I don't know where. They don't tell me. Fer, I don't want to..." 

His voice broke and for a few seconds only his heavy breathing was heard along with a dull sound, like someone was knocking on a door. 

"I'm coming for you," Fernando said determined. 

"You won't make it," Sergio half-sobbed, "Rene and dad are at the door. They're threatening to break it if I don't open it." 

"I'll be there in ten, Sergio," Fernando said, ready to throw the phone away and run out, but he was interrupted by Sergio's sob. 

"They're opening the door. Fer, I don't want to go. Please, I don't want to." 

"Sergio, calm down," Fernando said, barely holding back tears, "I'll find you. Wherever they take you, I'm going to come for you. I promise, Sergio, I'll find you. Do you believe me?" 

"Yes, yes, I believe you. I love you. I love you so much. No, Rene... Dad, please, just let me say goodbye to him. Fer, I love you!" 

"I love you too, Sergio. I'll find you, I promise. Wait for me. I pro..." 

The line was disconnected. Fernando stood with the phone in his hand for a few seconds, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Then he bolted out of the house and ran to Sergio's. There was light in the windows and he banged at the door with all his might. 

Mirian, Sergio's sister, opened the door, crossing her arms on her chest. 

"Why are you breaking the door?" she snapped. 

"Where is Sergio?" Fernando cried, "Where did they take him?" 

"He's going to stay with our relatives for some time," Mirian said, "Far away from here." 

"Where exactly?" 

"Yeah, like I'm going to tell you," she sneered, "Forget about my brother. Go find yourself a beta girl and leave him alone." 

"When is he going to come back?" 

"None of your business." 

Fernando forced himself to calm down and raised his palms as a sign of peace. 

"Please," he said," Tell me where he is. He didn't want to go. You know it. He didn't want to." 

"It's because of you," Mirian said, "He's going to love it there and he'll be finally free of your influence." 

"Why are you doing this?" Fernando asked, "We haven't done anything bad." 

"You really don't understand, kid?" Mirian hissed, "He's an omega, do you know what that means? Do you want to deprive him of the chance to be happy? Of the chance to find the right alpha, to get married, to have kids, to have a real family. Do you want that?" 

"He can have a real family with me," Fernando mumbled. 

Mirian laughed. "Really? Honey, you can't fight against nature. He needs an alpha, he needs someone who'll care about him, who'll protect him and give him children. You can't give it to him. Don't try to ruin his life." 

"You don't know Sergio at all," Fernando said. 

"Yeah, you know him thanks to your big and pure love," Mirian mocked. 

"Who's there?" Fernando heard Rene's voice and a few seconds later the older boy himself appeared on the threshold. 

His eyes narrowed and within a moment Fernando found himself pinned to the wall. 

"Listen to me," Rene growled, "You stay away from us if you want your face to stay as pretty as it is. You're not going to see Sergio ever again and you're going to leave my family alone. I warned you." He shoved Fernando away. "Now get the hell out of here." 

He and Mirian went inside, slamming the door, and Fernando could do nothing else but walk away forlornly.

~~~

Rene's threats didn't keep Fernando from returning to Sergio's place every day, hoping to find out something new about his friend, but to no avail. Sergio's parents didn't want to see him, Mirian just mocked him and Rene once left him with a shiner.

Days became weeks, weeks became months, but Sergio didn't come back. Fernando tried everything, he begged his parents to talk with Sergio's parents, he found the number of Sergio's aunts and called them, but they told him to fuck off in more polite words. 

Fernando didn't know what else he could do. Nothing was the same without Sergio. Fernando felt like the world had lost its color, movies didn't seem as interesting as before, music didn't soothe him. Even food wasn't as tasty as it used to be. His days became one bland, endless cycle of lessons, sleepless nights and hours spent by the phone in the hope that Sergio would call. 

It was four months after Sergio's disappearance when the phone rang and Fernando as always was the first to get it. 

"Hello?" he said dully. 

"Fer?" A muffled sob. "Fer!" 

"S-Sergio?" Fernando's throat clogged up. "Sergio, oh God, where are you?" 

"Fer," Sergio was crying so hard, he couldn't talk, "Help..." 

"Sergio, where are you?!" 

"No, no," Sergio yelled suddenly, followed by sounds of struggling, "Give it back! Fer, I'm in..." 

The line went dead. 

"No!" Fernando shouted, "No, no, no, Sergio, damn it." 

Ignoring his parents' questions, he ran out of the house, the events of another evening, when he'd run out just like this, after Sergio's call, still fresh and painful on his mind. This time the door of Sergio's place was opened by his omega dad. 

Fernando didn't give him time to talk. 

"What have you done to Sergio?" he cried. 

"Calm down, kid," the man said, "Sergio is in a safe place, where he's being taken care of. He likes it there." 

"No, he doesn't," Fernando said, "He just called me and he was crying. He was asking for help! Where is he? How can you do this to your own son?" 

"Teens, always so dramatic," the man said smiling, "Sergio will be fine, trust me. He's in good hands." 

"Please," Fernando said, wiping the tears away from the corner of his eyes, "Please, I don't know where he is, but take him away from there. Take him somewhere else if you don't want me to see him, but take him away from there." 

"Boy, who do you think you are to tell me how to bring up my kids? I told you Sergio's in a good place, he's just being difficult. My husband visited him last month. Do you think we'd do something that could harm our kid? We're his parents and we know what's good for him. Now, Fernando, I advise you to leave my family alone or I'll have to talk to your parents. Don't worry, I'll make sure Sergio won't bother you again." 

He looked at him pointedly until Fernando bowed his head and turned back, wiping his tears. Sergio's terrified, pleading voice was still ringing in his ears.

~~~

He spent his every minute at home by the phone from that day on. Even at nights, when everyone went to sleep, he tiptoed downstairs and slept on the couch with an eye open, in case Sergio called. But Sergio didn't. Time passed and there was nothing. And Fernando slowly started losing hope. He'd never felt this helpless. He tried to talk to Sergio's family again, but they kicked him out and told his parents that they were going to call the police next time. His father yelled at him and his mother yelled and cried and Fernando just bowed his head and let them. He'd told them about Sergio's call, but they hadn't taken him seriously. He was tired of repeating the same things every time.

He was so tired of everything - of his school, of his parents, of his siblings, of his city, of being reminded of Sergio by every little thing. So when he graduated and got the chance to study abroad, he took it. He made Israel promise that he would tell him if he found out something about Sergio and left. 

At first he asked Israel about Sergio every time he called, but every time the answer was negative. He soon stopped asking. The only thing that helped him forget was studying, so he went headfirst into it, coming back home only for summer. 

The first summer he came back, he went through all his search methods again - pestered Sergio's family, called his relatives, tried to find information about that call. He found nothing. 

The second summer he came back, he kept stalking Sergio's house, checking on it every evening and sometimes spending hours spying after it. Sergio wasn't there. 

The third summer he came back, he went to Sergio's place only the day before he had to go back and stared at Sergio's windows for a day. They were still closed. 

The fourth summer he came back, he didn't go near Sergio's street at all.


	4. Chapter 4

Fernando went out of the courtroom and finally allowed himself a grin. The relief was so overwhelming that he barely even felt the congratulations and the pats on his back. This had to be his most difficult case so far, but he won it. He knew he had to go and celebrate, but after months of intense work he just wanted to go home and to enjoy some time alone. He wasn't made for loud celebrations and big companies. 

So he apologized to everyone who wanted to drag him to drinking and got into his car, thinking if he had anything to eat at home or had to go grocery shopping. Remembering that his fridge was empty, he turned to the left to go to the supermarket and immediately pushed the breaks to avoid hitting the car parked right in front of him. 

Fernando cursed and got out of the car. _What again?_ A few cars had parked in the middle of the street and a group of people was gathered around them. Seemed like there was a policeman too. 

Fernando waited for a few minutes, but the crowd seemed to have no intention of moving. Cursing again, he went to see what the commotion was about. The people looked agitated, getting more and more excited with every passing second. _Alphas._ Curious, Fernando moved to the center of the crowd. Growling, angry and conciliating voices were sounding louder of all. 

"You're coming home with me," the growling voice said. 

"Fuck you, I'm not your fucking property," someone answered angrily. 

"Gentlemen, calm down, it's not the place..." 

"You're mine! My omega!" 

"Go fuck yourself." 

"I'd rather fuck you. You want it, don't you? You're leaking, dying to be fucked." 

"Fuck you." The voice was trembling now. 

"Don't be stubborn. Let's go home, I'll fuck you the way you like it, Sergio." 

_Sergio._ Weird how Fernando's heart gave a painful squeeze even after all these years. He pushed away the last alphas standing between him and the quarreling parties and almost dropped dead on spot. 

It was him. Older, wilder, but him. And some alpha had a firm grip on his arm, trying to drag him away. Sergio was still resisting feebly. The alphas around were getting more and more restless, as the scent of the omega in heat was intensifying. The policeman was trying to keep everything under control, but he was apparently an alpha himself and was having real troubles with being professional about Sergio's intoxicating scent. 

"My omega," growled the alpha holding Sergio, "Mine." 

"Not yours," Sergio panted, "Get off me." 

"I'll fuck you right here and let the others have a turn, if you don't come with me," the alpha threatened. 

The crowd cheered. Fernando's hands bailed into fists. He moved forward quickly just when Sergio broke free from the alpha and ran to the policeman, who was clearly struggling between his professional duties and his instincts. The ring around the three protagonists tightened. _They'll tear him to pieces,_ Fernando realized. 

"Back off, everyone," the policeman choked out. 

"Officer, wait," Fernando called, taking out his ID, "Let me take him away. I'm a beta." 

He glanced at Sergio, who was looking at him with wide eyes, frozen in shock. 

"Do you know him, sir?" the policeman asked. 

"Yes, he's m-my... friend." 

The policeman turned to Sergio. "Do you know this gentleman, omega?" 

Sergio nodded shakily. The policeman pushed him to Fernando, relieved. "Take him away, sir, and quick." 

Fernando took Sergio's hand and tried to find a way between almost crazy alphas. 

"You can't!" cried the one who'd called himself Sergio's alpha, "He's mine! Come back right now. You, omega-thief, give him back. Sergio! You're a fucking whore, Sergio! I hope you'll get fucked to death one day." 

"I hope you will," Sergio called back, leaning on Fernando. 

The alphas around them were touching him, groping him, Sergio kept shaking and panting, and Fernando was sure that they'd never get to his car. A large alpha moved to stand in front of them and lifted Sergio's chin up. The omega shuddered and swayed on his feet. Fernando pushed the alpha's hand away. 

"Give him to me and I'll fuck him so hard, he'll never think about running away from his alpha again," the man announced. 

"Not mine..." Sergio said, panting heavily, while Fernando dragged him away, "Don't... Don't have... an alpha..." 

Fernando didn't know by what miracle he finally pulled Sergio out of the alpha circle and pushed him into his car. He somehow did a U-turn, narrowly escaping scratching his car against the others that had stopped there, and turned to a broader street, speeding away. 

He dared a glance at Sergio only when they were a few streets away from the alpha gathering. The other man was breathing heavily and checking his pockets almost furiously. Fernando suddenly felt an overwhelming need to touch him, so he gripped the wheel tighter. Sergio's head snapped to him. 

"Got a smoke?" he asked impatiently. 

"W-what?" 

"Do you have a cigarette? I left mine at that fucker's house." 

"I-I don't s-smoke," Fernando stuttered. 

"You're such a prude," Sergio said. He squirmed in his seat. "Can you drive any slower?" 

"I d-don't know where... Where am I taking you?" Fernando asked. 

Sergio shrugged. "Somewhere you can fuck me. A motel or even a blind alley. Or your car if you aren't a prude also about that. I don't care." 

Fernando was choking by the time he'd finished his phrase. "I'm not going to fuck you!" he cried. 

"What?" Sergio shouted back, "Why the fuck did you drag me here then?" 

Fernando couldn't believe his ears. "Because you were an omega in heat in the middle of a dozen lust-maddened alphas?" he said. 

"One of them could fuck me," Sergio spat. 

"One of them?" Fernando yelled, "All of them would. Was that what you wanted?" 

"I almost got the policeman, you idiot! He seemed a decent guy." 

"If you want, I can take you back to him." Fernando hissed. 

Sergio closed his eyes and tried to take his breathing under control. "Listen to me," he said furiously, "Either you fuck me, or you find someone who will fuck me. If you didn't want this, you could have saved your hero syndrome for someone else." 

"My hero syndrome?" Fernando croaked, trembling from rage. 

"You know what I'm talking about. Befriending the poor omega kid, defending him from bullies, making him beg for a fuck, offering him to be on top for a change, saving him from being torn apart years later. What do you want me to say, Nando?" 

"A simple thank you would be enough," Fernando choked out. 

"Thank you, but I don't need your fucking protection. I just need you to fuck me. Are you going to do it or not?" 

"Fine!" Fernando shouted, "Fine, I'll do it." 

"That's better," Sergio said. 

Fernando was seething. He would have gladly thrown Sergio out, but he knew he'd regret it later. Fernando couldn't believe that their first meeting after so many years went like this. Sergio had changed so much. He wasn't the boy Fernando had known anymore. He glanced at Sergio. The omega was squirming in his place and from time to time let out a soft moan. Fernando saw the bulge in his pants and started driving the car faster. 

Stopping in front of his building, he rushed out of the car, banging the door. Sergio stumbled out too. Fernando took him by the arm and dragged him to his apartment, right to the bedroom. 

"Undress," he barked. 

As if Sergio needed to be told. He was naked and sprawled on the bed within seconds. Fernando turned to him and froze. He was sculpted like a god and covered in tattoos. Fernando swallowed, staring at him in wonder. 

"Are you just going to stand there like an idiot?" Sergio snapped. 

His dick was hard as stone, and Fernando couldn't wait anymore. He threw his boxers away, jumped on the bed and lifted Sergio's hips up. 

He entered him brutally, in one motion, burying himself in the omega up to the balls. Sergio cried out and arched his back. Fernando moaned loudly. He just now realized how much he'd missed this, missed Sergio's sweet heat around his cock. He gave a mighty thrust and the omega wrapped his legs around his waist and pulled him closer. 

Fernando fucked him roughly at first, then slowed down his pace to get reacquainted with Sergio's body. He leaned down and kissed his pelvic tattoo, then traced his lips up his torso, aiming for his lips. But he hadn't even reached his neck, when Sergio pulled him up by the hair. Fernando was taken aback by the derisive look in his eyes. 

"No need to try to make this different from what it is," he said hoarsely, "We're not making love, you mean nothing to me and I mean nothing to you. So just fuck me and get this over with." 

At first Fernando couldn't do anything but stare in shock. His second reaction was to pull out of Sergio and kick him out of his place, but before he could do that, the omega started fucking himself on Fernando's dick and jerking off at the same time. 

Meeting Fernando's eyes, he bared his teeth in a humorless grin. 

"I'd let all of them fuck me," he panted, "Every alpha that was there. I'd let them fuck me and I'd love it. I bet they'd be better than you." 

Fernando's sudden grip on his hips must have been bruising, but Sergio didn't seem to care. Neither did Fernando. With a snarl, he pounded on Sergio so hard, the omega cried out in pain. Fernando felt a sick kind of satisfaction. He slapped Sergio's hands away from his cock and continued his rapid succession of punishing thrusts until the younger man turned into a trembling, babbling and sobbing mess with his erection pocking at his stomach, able only to beg for more. 

Fernando released his load inside Sergio with one last powerful thrust and only then bothered himself with the omega's hard-on. With a few quick strokes he brought Sergio over the edge and collapsed over him. 

"Don't pull out," Sergio said, when he caught his breath. 

Fernando wasn't going to. He remembered. Sergio pushed him away and lay with his back to him, Fernando's dick still in his ass. 

"You'd better go to sleep. I'll need you to fuck me again soon," he mumbled. 

Fernando didn't answer. He'd come down from his high and his eyelids felt heavy. He closed his eyes before he could start thinking about what he'd done and what he was going to do. 

So they slept, sweaty chest pressed to sweaty back, connected, together.

~~~

Fernando was woken up by Sergio grinding on his cock. He inhaled his scent and finding his arm wrapped around Sergio's waist, pulled him closer.

"Get your fucking hands off me," Sergio growled. 

Fernando's hazy mind didn't register the meaning of his words. He smiled sleepily and pressed his lips to Sergio's neck. The omega gasped and stilled for a second. Then he elbowed Fernando. 

"Ow, what the hell?" Fernando yelped, only now waking up completely. 

"Fuck you," Sergio hissed, "Fuck you and your kisses and your inability to understand that I just want your cock. Why did you appear in my life again?" 

"If you hate me so much, I can throw you out now and you'll find the alpha you need," Fernando snapped. 

"You won't do that." Sergio laughed humorlessly and pushed on Fernando's cock to get more of it inside. "You're too much of a hero to do something like that." 

"Right, I won't do that," Fernando said with a barely restrained rage, "But I might get up, lock the door and leave you here." 

"You won't do that," Sergio said, though there were notes of fear in his voice this time, "You want to fuck me too badly. I can feel it." 

Overcome with blinding rage, Fernando pushed in completely and yanked at his hair. He sank his teeth in Sergio's neck, making the omega hiss in pain. 

"You're right," Fernando growled, "I want to fuck you. That's the only thing I want from you. The only thing." 

He turned Sergio on his stomach and grabbed his waist, raising his ass up. He didn't give him even a second, starting to fuck him so hard as if his life depended on it. 

"Your alpha was right about you," he panted, "You're a whore." 

"N-not my alpha," Sergio whispered, "Don't-don't have an-an alpha." 

"I don't care," Fernando hissed, "Don't care. Just shut up. Shut the fuck up." 

Sergio obeyed, just mewling and whimpering, bucking up his hips to meet Fernando's thrusts, but soon he apparently didn't have the strength even for that, focused on trying to keep himself on his knees and elbows. 

When the strong wave of pleasure hit Fernando, he thought he heard Sergio mumble something, but he didn't make out the words. The omega had taken care of himself, so Fernando pulled out of him, ignoring his whine. His seed oozed out of Sergio's hole and Fernando felt sick. 

"I need a shower," he muttered and went to the bathroom on wobbling legs. 

He took long in the shower, trying to get his feelings and thoughts under control. The anger was gone, leaving only shame. He couldn't believe he'd just fucked Sergio. How many times had he thought of him, dreamed of him during these years? How many times had he tried to forget him in vain? How many times had he imagined how their meeting would go? Sergio had been all he could think about at first, then as much as he'd tried to get him out of his head, he had never been able to do it. And now when they met again, he'd fucked him and insulted him. 

Fernando rubbed his face furiously. He shouldn't have done that, no matter how infuriating Sergio was being, not matter what he'd told Fernando. He was in heat, he wasn't himself, and Fernando shouldn't have treated him that way. He didn't know what had happened to Sergio during these years, didn't know anything. 

Wrapping a towel around his waist, he quietly returned to the bedroom. Sergio was curled up on the bed, his eyes half-closed. Seemed like he hadn't noticed Fernando. His lips were moving, and coming closer, Fernando heard what he was saying. 

"No different, he's no different." 

Was he talking about Fernando? Guilt made his cheeks heat up. Sergio looked totally debauched. His come had dried up on his stomach, his hair was disheveled, there were bruises blooming on his hips and bite marks on his shoulders and neck. 

Fernando looked away and cleared his throat. Sergio shifted on the bed. 

"I'm going out to buy food," Fernando said, "Do you need anything?" 

Sergio smirked. "A real gentleman would first buy me dinner, then fuck my brains out," he said. 

Fernando clenched his fists. "If you don't need anything..." 

"Buy me cigarettes," Sergio said, "I don't have money with me, I'll pay you back, when I find some." 

"No need," Fernando said, "If that's all..." 

"Oh, and buy me a dildo," Sergio said, "The biggest one. I still have a couple of days of heat and you apparently have a life." 

He sent a very infuriating grin to Fernando, but the beta didn't let it get to him. 

"Okay," he said, "The bathroom is the second door on the left. You can take towels from here and here are my clothes, take whatever you want." 

"Yeah, okay," Sergio mumbled, closing his eyes. 

Fernando took his car key and went out. He didn't hurry to do his shopping, trying to clear his head and decide what he was going to do. After his grocery shopping he even went to a sex shop and made the most awkward purchase in his life. He didn't forget his cigarettes too, on a second thought fetching also omega-tampons. Then he went to the nearest Indian place to buy dinner, because he had neither the strength, nor the will to cook himself. 

When he returned, Sergio was in the balcony, wearing only Fernando's shorts. 

"Hey," Fernando tapped the window, "Come back." 

Sergio glanced at him and slowly walked to the room. 

"Scared your neighbors will think you've picked up a whore?" he smirked. 

Fernando's jaw almost dropped at that blatant provocation. 

"You'll get cold," he said. 

Sergio went on as if he hadn't heard him. "Why are you looking at me like that? Don't you think I'm a whore? You said so." 

Fernando blushed. "I-I'm sorry about that," he mumbled, "And for-for everything else. I'm really sorry." 

To his surprise Sergio shrugged and waved his hand dismissively. "Don't be. It isn't the worst thing I've been called and it was even true for some time." 

"What?" Fernando choked out. 

"Never mind," Sergio said. 

"But..." 

"I said never mind," Sergio said darkly. 

Fernando didn't want to rile him up, so he nodded and tossed him the bag with his things. It was Sergio's turn to remain with an open mouth. 

"You really bought me a dildo?" he laughed. 

"Yeah," Fernando said awkwardly, "Didn't you want it?" 

"Well, I... I didn't think..." He took a deep breath. "I'll pay you back." 

"Don't worry about it," Fernando said, going to put the groceries in the fridge. 

"I see you have a pretty nice place in a good neighborhood," Sergio said in a much darker voice, with a smirk playing on his lips, "You've got some fancy job, don't you?" 

"I'm a lawyer," Fernando said. 

"Oh. A good one?" 

"A good one." 

"Sure you are." 

"And what do you do?" 

Sergio shrugged. "Whatever comes by. One day I'm a waiter, another day a worker on the construction, on the third day I clean floors at the mall. Currently I'm unemployed, but I always find something." 

Fernando knew he was just beating around the bush, avoiding the question that he'd been dying to ask from the first moment he saw Sergio - where had his parents taken him - but something told him Sergio wouldn't be happy to answer. 

"Let's eat," he said. 

Sergio attacked the food like a hungry wolf. He had always had excellent appetite during heats and Fernando's heart clenched, remembering their carefree and happy days. He wondered again what kind of life Sergio was leading and his thoughts returned to that alpha he had apparently been living with. 

"So, why did you run away from your... from that guy?" he asked. 

Sergio stopped stuffing his mouth for a second and shrugged. "He was a kinky bastard." 

"I thought you'd love kinky." 

"Not that kind." 

Fernando patiently waited for him to continue and his patience was rewarded. Sergio pushed the empty plate away and leaned back on his chair. 

"It was a month after a heat I moved in with him," he started, "We'd fucked before, though not during heats. He seemed great, he was smart and funny and had a nice cock. Everything was great until my heat started." Sergio fidgeted in the chair. "He cuffed me to the bed. I fucking hate being restrained, but I thought if the guy was into it, why break his heart? So he cuffed me and then did nothing. Just sat next to me and started fucking smiling. Said he'd fuck me when the time was right. The right time came only in the evening of the third day. I was half-crazy by then. I don't know how he didn't lose control. He was teasing me as if the heat wasn't enough, but took no action except jerking off. He fed me himself and if I needed to go to the bathroom, he cuffed my hands behind my back and helped me with it. I was too weak to resist. He made me beg till I went hoarse and then refused to fuck me. I packed my stuff and left when I was able to move. He spent a month groveling till I came back to him..." 

"Wait, you went back to the guy who'd kept you tied up to bed for three days?" 

Sergio smirked bitterly. "He assured me he wouldn't do it again." 

"And you believed him?" 

"I decided to believe him. Do you know how hard it is to find an alpha for an omega like me? I'm not obedient, not smiling, not gentle. I'm problematic, I'm rebellious, I fucking smoke! No one would want to put up with me. And he... He claimed he loved me. We lived relatively happy for two months until my heat started again and he tried to cuff me to the bed again. I punched him and ran out, didn't take anything, even my wallet. He ran after me, caught up with me and we started arguing. You know what happened then." 

Fernando didn't know what to say. He wanted to scold Sergio for going back to that guy after everything, but didn't think it would help. 

"I'll go to him and take your belongings," he offered. 

"I'll do it myself," Sergio said, "I'm not scared of him when I'm not in heat." 

He took the dirty plates and went to put them in the sink. Fernando's look fell on his back tattoos and he automatically started looking for the only familiar one - the grinning ghoul. It wasn't there. Fernando's eyes widened and he got up to have a closer look. In the place of the tattoo he knew there was another one, a stylized writing, announcing _My body belongs to me._ He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it before. Instinctively, he reached for it, but as soon as his fingertips touched it, Sergio turned back and grabbed his wrist. 

"If you want to fuck, just tell me," he said, his eyes dark and mocking, "Not in the mood for foreplay." 

"No, I just..." Fernando gulped, "Your ghoul tattoo, it's gone." 

"Had it removed," Sergio said coldly. 

Fernando looked at the new tattoo again and saw the scarred and discolored skin hidden underneath. 

"It had to be painful," he murmured. 

"It was," Sergio said, moving away from him. 

There was a thin layer of sweat on his skin and Fernando realized that his heat had intensified again. 

"Do you want to go to-to the bedroom?" he asked. 

Sergio nodded, and walked away quickly. Fernando followed him quietly, dying from the sudden need to touch him, to make love to him slowly and unhurriedly, but afraid of Sergio's derision if he tried, he settled for a quick and rough fuck. 

He stayed inside Sergio afterwards and when the omega's breathing evened out, tentatively pressed his lips on the rough and uneven skin on his shoulder blade, covered by the new tattoo. 

"I missed you," he whispered to the sleeping omega and fell asleep himself, listening to Sergio's calm breathing.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never written so many sex scenes in one story. Please do tell me if it gets boring.

When Fernando woke up in the morning, Sergio was still sleeping. He blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes to make sure that it was real. Realizing that it was, he quietly slipped out of the bed, padded to the shower, then to the kitchen. He had breakfast, made some sandwiches for Sergio, but left also milk and cereal outside in case he preferred it. He wrote him a note promising to be back in the evening and left. 

His desk was buried under piles of documents and folders with new cases waiting for him. He started to work on them, interrupted sometimes by one of his colleagues stopping by to congratulate him on his brilliant victory. It took him only an hour to realize that he just couldn't focus on his work. He kept repeating the scenes from the day before in his head, analyzing Sergio's words, trying to reconnect this Sergio to the boy he had loved, trying to understand what he was going to do now that he was back in his life. 

He didn't find a solution and succeeded only in making his head hurt. Why the hell did he even think he had to do something about Sergio? What if he didn't want to stay in his life? He'd made it pretty clear what he wanted, hadn't he? 

The day passed in a haze and Fernando didn't do anything productive. The evening and the night spent with Sergio seemed a distant memory and he wasn't entirely sure he hadn't dreamed about it until he opened the door and was greeted by a wonderful smell. 

"Hey," he said, walking to the kitchen. 

The image of Sergio standing in front of the stove in his kitchen seemed so surreal, his breath hitched. 

"The dinner will be ready in a few minutes," Sergio said without looking at him. 

"You didn't have to," Fernando said. 

Sergio shrugged. "You have to eat, so you can fuck me later." 

"Oh," Fernando said, taken aback, "Right." 

He tried to remember if Sergio had been so blunt also before, but even if he'd been, he had always been playful and joking about that, not dry and icy like now. 

They ate in silence, Fernando's every attempt at communication rebuffed by Sergio. 

"Bedroom?" Sergio asked after the dinner. 

He had been getting restless and fidgety and Fernando knew he shouldn't have done it, but he still asked, "Maybe we should talk first?" 

"What about?" Sergio snapped. 

"About us? About you, what happened to you..." 

"There is nothing to talk about." 

Fernando blinked. "Yes, there is." 

Sergio stood up abruptly. "I'm going to the bedroom. When you finally decide to fuck me, please let me know." 

Fernando didn't manage to utter even a word, as Sergio strode past him. Furious, Fernando decided not to follow him and turned on the TV. His anger and stubbornness kept him glued to the screen, but it wasn't enough to make him stay away from Sergio for long, so not even half an hour had passed when he got up with a sigh and went to the bedroom. 

The moans should have kept him out, but instead urged him in. The sight that greeted him made his throat go dry. Sergio was on the floor, supporting himself on his knees, left elbow and shoulder, the vibrating dildo in his ass, moaning and yanking at his cock. 

He looked up when the other man entered and for a moment Fernando thought there was fear in his eyes, but then it was gone, replaced by a leer, as he tugged on his cock and gave an exaggerated moan. 

Fernando moved almost automatically. He unzipped his pants, strode to Sergio, took the dildo out and drove his cock inside the omega. Sergio came only after a few thrusts and Fernando pulled out. 

"Go on," Sergio urged impatiently. 

"Wait, let's get on the bed first," Fernando said. 

Sergio shrugged and somehow pulled himself on the bed, ignoring Fernando's outstretched hand. 

"Didn't want to stain your sheets," he muttered. 

Fernando rolled his eyes and reached for Sergio's knee, caressing the reddened skin. The omega jerked his leg away. 

"Just fuck me," he snapped. 

Fernando sighed and obeyed to his wish, fucking Sergio until they both came twice, then jerking Sergio off while still inside him. The omega looked exhausted after that, his eyes closing and his chest rising and falling evenly. Fernando sank on the bed next to him, his fingers itching to touch Sergio, to caress his face, but instead he reached for the lampshade and turned it off. 

"Night," he whispered. 

Sergio didn't answer.

~~~

Fernando tried to forget about Sergio and to work on his case. It was even more difficult than his last one. This time his client was a young and rich beta who was accused of murdering his girlfriend. The evidence spoke against him, but Fernando was hopeful he would win it. After all he'd accomplished the seemingly impossible task of sending an alpha to jail for raping an omega in heat.

His thoughts returned to the omega currently residing in his house and he sighed, rubbing his aching temples. He wasn't looking forward to another evening of silent dinner and meaningless sex, but he couldn't stay in his office the whole night, so he reluctantly got into his car and drove home. 

Sergio had made carbonara today. Fernando didn't know it was because he remembered it was his favorite or because the ingredients were at hand. He hoped for the former. 

"It smells good," he said. 

Sergio turned to him and smiled, his first real smile Fernando had seen since he'd met him two days ago. It made his heart flutter. 

"How was your day?" Fernando asked, helping himself with a large portion of carbonara. 

Sergio shrugged. "Fine. Watched some TV, fucked myself with the dildo. You?" 

"Uh... I, fine. I've got a new case." 

"Great. Hope you'll win it." 

"Yeah. Thanks." 

They continued eating in silence, but Fernando sensed something different in Sergio's mood. He seemed calmer, more disposed to talking and Fernando wasn't going to miss this chance. 

"So," he said, "How's your... family?" 

Sergio's head jerked up, his gaze intense, and for a second Fernando thought he'd fucked up, but then the other man relaxed again. 

"No idea. I'm not really fond of them." Sergio laughed and it was the saddest sound Fernando had ever heard. "Last I heard of them dads still continued with their hypocritical fight for omega rights. My siblings have found pretty little omegas for themselves, who have probably whelped for them a dozen of pretty little kids. I'm the only one who doesn't fit in their shiny, perfect family. My dads blame you for that, by the way." 

Fernando's eyes widened. "Me? But why?" 

"They think if my first had been an alpha as it should have been, my life would've been different. I would've settled down by now, found a steady job, I'd have been fed and bred and happy with my alpha. Just thinking about it makes me gag." 

"Sergio, I..." 

"Can I smoke?" 

"Yeah, sure." 

"Thanks," Sergio said, lighting a cigarette. 

"Sergio, about what you said..." 

"Don't worry about that. That's not how you ruined my life." 

"What do you mean?" 

Sergio smirked. "You've been by my side for years. Always supported me, helped me when I needed. And I thought like an idiot that it'd always be like that. That you'd always be with me. I wasn't ready for a life without you, but it was forced upon me." 

"I was looking for you," Fernando whispered, "But your parents and siblings never told me anything." 

"Why would they? They sent me to a center for difficult omegas to be taught what a proper omega should be like. Those centers exist to this day. I was kept there for two years. Did you know that in some regions there's still a law allowing the parents or the alpha of an omega considered "difficult" to keep them in special care institutions? Sure you do, you're a lawyer. My parents used the same loophole they were fighting against." Sergio laughed his sad laughter again. "At first I kept hoping you would find me like you'd promised, but soon I understood that it was just a stupid childish dream." 

"I-I was trying," Fernando mumbled. 

"Didn't try hard enough, apparently." 

Fernando's anger flared. "Why didn't _you_ try to find me?" he snapped. 

Sergio blew a smoke ring from his mouth. "Omegas aren't supposed to look for alphas," he said, "Alphas should find omegas themselves." 

"I'm not an alpha," Fernando said. 

Sergio snorted. "That's been our problem from the very beginning." 

Fernando rubbed his temples. "You've spent two years there?" he asked. 

"It was supposed to be six months, but I kept disobeying and they don't let you out if you're bad." 

"Was it a prison or what?" Fernando said, "What did they do in that center?" 

"I told you. Wanted to teach me to be a proper omega." Sergio bared his teeth in a humorless grin. "They failed, as you can see." 

"And how did they let you out?" 

Sergio's gaze darkened. "I ran away." 

"Ran away?" Fernando said, raising his brows. 

Sergio shrugged. "Ran away and started leaving on my own." 

"And you didn't go to find me?" Fernando asked in a small voice. 

Sergio looked away. "No." 

He took his pack of cigarettes and the lighter and went to the balcony. Fernando didn't go after him, he washed the dishes, then called his parents and talked to them until Sergio came back looking at him with a silent plea in his eyes. 

Fernando said a quick goodbye to his mother and put away the phone. 

"Bedroom?" he asked. 

Sergio nodded. Fernando suddenly realized that he didn't want to. Didn't want to have sex this way, with this cold, distant Sergio, but he reluctantly followed him to the bedroom. Sergio quickly got rid of his clothes and stared at Fernando expectantly. The beta sighed and took off his shirt and pants, but then slumped on the bed, shaking his head. 

"I can't, Sergio," he murmured, "I'm sorry, I can't." 

"What?" Sergio said, "Sure you can. C'mon." 

"No, it's not right. I can't." 

"You fuck me for two nights, then declare that it's not right? Sounds like hypocrisy to me." 

"No, I'm not..." 

"I know you want me," Sergio said in a trembling voice, "C'mon, you don't have to do anything, I'll do all the work myself." He pushed Fernando until the beta was lying on the bed, then pulled his boxers off. "Please, Fer," he whispered. 

Fernando's heart gave a loud thud. Sergio hadn't called him 'Fer' even once during these three days. 

"Okay," he said. 

Sergio smiled gratefully and wrapped his burning fingers around Fernando's cock, stroking it to hardness. Fernando closed his eyes, his hitching breath turning into a gasp when Sergio's fingers were replaced by something hotter. His eyes snapped open again and he saw the omega's head between his thighs and his wet mouth on his erection. 

Sergio slid lower, swallowing down Fernando's cock whole, and the other man barely stopped himself from fucking into his mouth. After a few seconds Sergio got up, his lips moist and glistening, and straddled Fernando, taking the beta's hardened dick in his hand and slowly guiding it to his entrance. 

"Is this okay?" he asked suddenly, stopping just when the tip of Fernando's cock reached his hole. 

"Yes, please," Fernando panted. 

Sergio took a breath and sat on Fernando's cock in one swift motion, taking it to the hilt. The beta let out a hoarse scream, his fists clenching around the sheets. Sergio threw his head back, his eyes closed, moaning and biting his lip. He pushed himself up, his hands on Fernando's hipbones, and fell down again, then again and again, setting up a vicious pace that after a few minutes had Fernando coming inside him harder than he had for years. He kept fucking himself on Fernando's cock until he too came in hot white sprouts on the beta's and his own stomach. 

"Oh my God," Fernando said when he caught his breath. 

Sergio smiled from above, another genuine smile. Fernando almost reached for him, but stopped himself at the last moment. 

"Did you like it?" Sergio asked. 

"You have no idea," Fernando smiled. 

Sergio smirked and lay down, beautiful and glowing, his face very close to Fernando's. 

"Can I kiss you?" the beta whispered mesmerized. 

Sergio stared at him for a minute, then brought his hand to his face and caressed it slowly. 

"Please don't," he said quietly. 

Fernando nodded, pretending it didn't hurt. Sergio shifted in his arms, turning his back to him, pressing it to his chest. 

"Tell me about school," he said suddenly, "Do you know what happened to the guys?" 

"Uh," Fernando said, racking his brain for information and trying to overcome the surprise at Sergio's sudden friendliness, "Jenny Martinez married Tony last year. For the third time." 

"Those guys," Sergio chuckled. 

"Yeah," Fernando smiled. "Listen, Sese," he said, encouraged by Sergio's good mood, "Tomorrow I'm home. Do you think maybe we could... watch some movie together?" 

Sergio was silent for a minute. "Yeah," he said eventually, "Probably." 

Fernando kissed him behind the ear and Sergio didn't object.

~~~

Fernando opened his eyes and groaned, realizing that it was still early. He hated waking up early on Sundays. Turning to the other side, he closed his eyes again, when suddenly understood that he was alone in the bed. He sat up. There was a weird feeling in his stomach that made him go and check the bathroom. No one was there.

Worried, Fernando went to the living room and found Sergio there, fully dressed, a bag in his hand, scribbling something on a piece of paper. 

"Sergio?" he said. 

The omega jumped up, taking the paper and thrusting it in his pocket. 

"What are you doing here this early?" Fernando asked. 

"Wanted to leave you a note, but there is no need now," Sergio muttered. 

"A note? Are you leaving?" 

Sergio looked into his eyes. "Yes." 

"W-what? Why?" 

"My heat is over, I have no reason to stay here anymore." 

"Oh, right," Fernando murmured, "And where are you going to?" 

"To the shithole I used to rent before I moved to that bastard's place." 

"You-you can stay here if you want, you know?" 

Sergio bowed his head. "I'd better leave." 

He walked to the door with Fernando following him. 

"Give me your phone or address, so we can meet up some time," he asked. 

Sergio opened the door and turned back to look at Fernando. 

"I don't think we should see each other again, Fer," he said quietly. 

"What?" Fernando croaked. 

"It'll be better for both of us if we don't meet again," Sergio said. 

"How can you say that after-after... everything that happened?" Fernando cried. 

"Nothing happened. You helped out an omega in heat and that's all. I won't bother you again." 

"I can't believe you," Fernando hissed. 

"I'm sorry," Sergio said. He reached for Fernando's hand and gave It a quick squeeze. "Thank you." 

And he was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

Fernando tried to go on with his life, he really did. And he mostly succeeded. His murder case was proceeding slowly, but surely, he took up a few easier cases along the way and added a few more victories to his unbroken series. But from time to time memories and thoughts of Sergio assaulted his mind. It would happen unexpectedly, when he was shopping, when he was in the courtroom, when he was having lunch with his colleagues, when he was alone in his bed. He usually was able to compose himself quickly and he was sure no one had noticed it so far. But to fool people who knew him better proved to be much more difficult. 

One day during lunch he and his brother were sitting in a small restaurant close to Fernando's workplace and chatting about Israel's family and Fernando's job. Something Israel said triggered a memory about Sergio and Fernando was gone. It lasted only three seconds, but Israel crossed his arms on his chest and stared at Fernando attentively. 

"Okay, enough," he said, "Tell me what's bothering you." 

"Nothing," Fernando said quickly. 

Israel raised a brow. "Don't lie to me, Fer." 

"I'm just worried about work, you know." 

"Fernando." 

Fernando sighed. Maybe he really needed to talk about it with someone, to get it out? Maybe then he'd feel better? 

He took a deep breath and looked at his brother. "I met Sergio," he said. 

"Sergio?" Israel's eyes widened. "You mean Sergio, your..." 

"Yeah, him," Fernando said, "I took him to my place." 

"To your place," Israel repeated. 

"Yeah, he was in heat and there were some alphas... It's a long story. Anyway, I took him home and he stayed with me for three days." 

Israel sighed deeply and took a sip from his glass of water. "And what happened then?" he asked. 

"He left," Fernando said, "But I... I can't stop thinking about him. I don't know, Isra, I feel like-like I have to do something." 

"What do you have to do?" Israel asked, "You helped him. Isn't that enough?" 

"No," Fernando said, "He just... left, you know. I don't think I should leave it at that. I think I should..." 

"Find him?" Israel suggested, "Rekindle your old relationship?" 

"No, I... don't know," Fernando rubbed his face, "I don't know what to do, Isra. He said we shouldn't meet. He was different, he was so different. He was like... He was..." 

"Broken?" Isra offered, "Docile, frightened..." 

"No," Fernando said surprised, "He was more like wild, snarky, a little rude, aggressive. Rebellious, as he put it." 

"Oh," was all Israel said. 

"Why did you think he'd be broken or scared?" Fernando said suspiciously. 

"Well, you know, I just... assumed." 

Fernando narrowed his eyes. "Don't lie to me, Isra." 

"I'm not lying, Fer." 

"Isra, you know I can read you just as well as you can read me. What do you know about Sergio?" 

"Fer, I..." Israel bowed his head, "It's in the past now. Let's not talk about that." 

"Tell me, Israel," Fernando said. 

The older man sighed and bowed his head. "I broke my promise given to you," he said, "I'm sorry." 

"You've seen Sergio before," Fernando stated. 

"Yes," Israel said. 

"When?" 

"Two years after he disappeared." 

"Where?" 

"Is this an interrogation?" 

"Tell me the truth, Israel." 

"Okay," Israel said quietly, "You were studying abroad when the rumors started that Sergio was back. No one had seen him, though, he didn't leave the house for over a month. Then one day mum called Mari and said that someone had been stalking our house for the past few days. She wanted to call the police, but dad thought it was ridiculous, so she asked Mari and me to come and see it for ourselves." 

"It was Sergio," Fernando said. 

Israel nodded. "Yeah. We didn't recognize him at first. Just saw that there was really someone stalking the house and went out. He started to run, but froze as soon as Mari shouted for him to stop. You-you wouldn't recognize him, Fer. He was the shell of the boy I'd known. It wasn't his physical appearance that had changed, you know, it was just, it was... him." Israel sighed and shook his head. "As soon as we approached him, he started crying and begging not to tell his parents. He was all trembling, looked so scared, haunted, his every second phrase was 'please don't tell my parents'. He didn't calm down even when we swore we wouldn't tell. I asked him what he was doing here, but he didn't want to answer. He didn't need to, the answer was obvious." 

"He was looking for me," Fernando whispered. 

"He was. His eyes shone when I spoke your name and then I did something that still haunts me, Fer. The kid was already broken and I just completely shattered him." Israel took his glass of water and emptied it. "I told him that you were studying abroad and you weren't going to be back for a long time. I said that you'd moved on, forgotten about him and he had to move on too. If only you'd seen the look in his eyes... Even Maria looked shocked, I think she wanted to tell him that it wasn't true, but I didn't let her. I told Sergio that you had to think about your future and that he didn't have a place in it and I asked him to leave us alone if he cared about you. I told him that he could compromise your future. Fer, I'll never forget the way he looked at me. As though he was expecting me, begging me to say that it wasn't true and that you still loved him and were waiting for him at home. I saw all his hopes and dreams crushed in front of me and I didn't move a finger. The kid could only murmur that he promised not to bother you, while tears were streaming down his eyes like a river. I don't think he even noticed. He begged not to tell his parents about this again and ran away. It was the last time I saw him. He left home a few months later and I don't know what happened to him after that." 

He fell silent. Fernando was silent too, his eyes shut tightly. 

"Why did you do it?" he said finally, "Why didn't you tell me? All these years and you didn't tell me. You promised you'd tell me." 

"I did it for you, Fer," Israel said and before Fernando could protest, he continued, "What would have happened if I had told you? Would you have left your studies and returned? I couldn't allow it. You would have regretted it. And what if you had chosen to stay? You'd live the rest of your life thinking you'd betrayed Sergio. I know it was a horrible thing to do to a kid like him, but I did it for my brother and I would do it again." 

Fernando stumbled up to his feet. "I have to go," he said hoarsely, "I don't want to argue with you right now. I just-I can't talk to you now. See you later, Isra." 

He put a few banknotes on the table and hastily left the restaurant. There was a storm raging in his mind. Israel's words were ringing in his ears and guilt was choking him. He should have been there for Sergio, should have kept his promise. 

He returned to his office, but wasn't able to work. He kept thinking about Sergio, about what he had gone through and how he'd come looking for Fernando even after that. And he hadn't been there. 

He slept very little that night and woke up with a headache. He didn't want to spend this day thinking about Sergio too. He tried to convince himself that it hadn't been his fault, that it was a thing of the past, but his heart didn't agree with his mind. His heart was aching and blaming him for abandoning Sergio. 

"Shouldn't have let him go," he told himself. 

But it was already late. And what could he have done? He couldn't have locked Sergio up and kept him in his house. He wanted to leave and there was nothing Fernando could do about it.

~~~

Fernando had never been happier for the possibility to spend a day at home. His new case was eating up all his energy, the witness that could help him prove his client's innocence was refusing to talk and the thoughts of Sergio were tormenting him. He'd made a reluctant peace with Israel, though he still couldn't get over what he'd said. Sergio had come looking for him. The thought made him feel both happy and terrible.

The intercom beep made Fernando frown. He wasn't expecting anyone, especially at this hour, but he went to answer anyway. 

"Hello?" he said. 

"It's me, Sergio, open the door!" 

"Sergio?" 

"Please, open the door!" Sergio cried. 

Fernando quickly pushed the button. "Come in!" 

A minute later Sergio barged in his house, quickly closing the door behind him and leaning on it. He looked worn out and dirty, he was breathing heavily and trembling slightly. 

"Sergio, what's wrong?" Fernando asked, trying to recover from the shock of seeing him again. 

The omega opened his eyes and from the feverish look in them Fernando understood that he was in heat. 

"Look, I'm sorry for coming here uninvited, but your house was close and I..." Sergio said, "I didn't know where to go, so..." 

"Sergio, I'm happy you're here, I just want to know why you suddenly decided to visit me." 

Sergio took a deep breath. "My heat started and then there was some creep eyeing me and I thought that it would be a bad idea to spend the heat under the bridge." 

"What were you doing under the bridge?" 

"I was sort of living there." 

"Seriously?" 

"Look, can we leave questions for later? I really need you to fuck me. You'll do it, right, Fer?" 

"Sergio, it's not..." 

"Please," Sergio said desperately, "We'll do it the way you want with all the kisses, smiles and rainbows. I really need it. Please." 

"Sergio, I don't think..." 

"I would leave and look for someone else, but I think that creep has followed me here," Sergio said, "I'd go to him if I weren't afraid he'd murder me then. Please tell me you'll do it. Please tell me, Fer." 

"O-okay, just... Okay." 

"Great," Sergio said, "Can I take a shower first? I don't think you'll want to fuck someone who smells like homeless." 

He didn't wait for Fernando's answer, sauntering off to the bathroom. Before going out of the door he looked over his shoulder. "You can join me, by the way," he called and disappeared. 

Fernando ran a hand over his face, then slowly approached the bar and downed a glass of brandy. His hands were shaking. It was ridiculous how Sergio could just barge into his life unceremoniously and turn it upside down. _You can join me._ He couldn't shake off the thought of Sergio in his shower, the water running down his body in rivulets, his muscles relaxing under the hot water. It was sending jolts to his cock and weakening his resolve. He poured himself another glass, but at that moment he heard Sergio's voice. 

"Aren't you coming?" 

Still fighting with himself, Fernando closed the bar and slowly walked to the bathroom. 

Sergio was waiting for him stark-naked and smirked when Fernando entered. He stepped under the shower, letting the water fall over him and sending inviting glances to Fernando. The beta froze for a second, his reason screaming against doing it. 

"What are you waiting for?" Sergio asked irritated, then his look turned into desperation. "I said you can do whatever you want." 

He parted his legs, stroking his cock lazily, looking Fernando straight in the eye, and the other man couldn't take it anymore. He almost ripped off his clothes and joined Sergio under the shower, his breath hitching when he took in Sergio's naked, wet, magnificent body. 

"What do you want to do?" Sergio whispered in his ear, running his fingertips over Fernando's half-hard cock. 

Fernando gulped. He took the shampoo bottle, poured some in his palm and brought it to Sergio's head, starting to soap his hair. The omega closed his eyes and moaned in pleasure when Fernando scratched his scalp, slowly sliding down to make it more comfortable for the other man. Fernando washed and rinsed his hair, then passed to his body, soaping his neck, his back and his chest, caressing every inch of skin. Sergio kept his eyes closed through all of it, letting Fernando turn and twist him the way he wanted. By the end of it he was a quivering and boneless mess, his cock hard and straining, his head thrown back and his throat exposed. 

Fernando resisted the urge to bite it and took Sergio's hands, pulling him to his feet. He leaned against the shower cabin and Sergio almost fell on him, his forehead on Fernando's shoulder, his knees buckling and his body shaking. Fernando steadied him with an arm around the waist and caressed his hair. He kissed the crown of his head, then lowered his hand and gripped Sergio's erection. The omega hissed and bucked his hips, his nails clawing at Fernando's back. 

Fernando's arm around his waist slipped down, his index finger ghosting over his crack and then he pushed it in Sergio's sleek heat. Another finger followed soon and Sergio gasped, pushing back on Fernando's fingers, clutching at his back. Fernando added a third finger, moaning quietly when Sergio eagerly swallowed it. He thrust back and forth for a while, feeling Sergio's breath in hot puffs over his heart. 

"More," Sergio said hoarsely. 

Hesitantly, Fernando inserted a fourth finger, listening carefully for any sound of discomfort. Sergio didn't complain, though, he moaned louder and bucked his hips to get Fernando's fingers deeper. Almost chocking with arousal, Fernando started fucking him with his fingers and jerking him off. Sergio was trembling and barely standing on his feet, his nails leaving deep scratches on Fernando's back. 

Fernando flicked his wrist and Sergio cried out, coming in hot white stripes on their stomachs. He stumbled and almost fell, but Fernando held him by the waist. 

"It's okay, Sese," he whispered, "I've got you." 

Sergio pushed him away gently and leaned against the shower cabin wall, breathing heavily. He opened his eyes, looking at Fernando's painfully hard dick. 

"C'mon," he said, "Fuck me for real." 

He turned back and put his hands on the wall, bending over and presenting his ass to Fernando. The other man didn't need much convincing, his mind was clouded by arousal. He felt like this was all happening in a dream. He grabbed Sergio's hips and entered him in one harsh motion. It was a quick and rough fuck and Fernando didn't last long. He stayed inside Sergio while he jerked him off and after the omega came, he pulled out of him and fell down on the floor. 

When he caught his breath, he stumbled out of the shower, dried himself up and wrapped a towel around his waist. He turned back to look at Sergio, who was still sitting under the water on his knees. Fernando turned off the water and took Sergio's hands. 

"C'mon, Sese, let's go," he said, pulling him up. 

Sergio didn't object when Fernando dried his hair and his body with a towel and accepted his help while walking towards the bedroom. He seemed exhausted and just lay on the bed, closing his eyes. 

"Aren't you hungry?" Fernando asked. "I can bring you something to eat." 

"No," Sergio shook his head, "Come here." 

"Don't you want to sleep?" 

"No. Come here. Fuck me." 

Fernando felt like he had no choice but to obey. He approached the bed, threw the towel away and sat down. Sergio didn't move, lying straight on his back, chest rising and falling evenly, hair sprawled over the pillow, eyes closed, face expressionless. At that moment he seemed so otherworldly to Fernando, so candid, that the beta was almost scared to touch him, though he was burning with the need to do it. 

Taking a breath, he brought a trembling hand to Sergio's face to caress it with his fingertips. The omega's eyelids fluttered, but he kept his eyes shut. Fernando leaned down and pressed his lips to Sergio's cheekbone, tracing them down till he reached the corner of his mouth. 

"Can I kiss you?" he asked. 

"Whatever you want," Sergio whispered. 

Fernando kissed him tentatively, just lips, nothing more. Sergio didn't answer, didn't push him back either, but Fernando broke the kiss soon, discouraged by his lack of response. He kissed Sergio under the jaw instead, eliciting a low moan, then started sucking on his Adam's apple, and the omega's heart under his palm started beating louder. Fernando put his ear over it, his fingers caressing Sergio's ribs. 

"I missed you," he whispered. 

Sergio's breath hitched. He froze for a moment, then bucked up his hips impatiently and Fernando sat up with a sigh. He pumped his cock, opened Sergio's legs a little wider, raised his hips and thrust into his dripping entrance. Sergio's back arched in an almost unnatural angle, his lips parting in a cry, as Fernando pulled out and slammed in again. After a few quick thrusts he slowed down and leaned over Sergio, unable to resist the urge to lick the beads of sweat gathered in the hollow of his neck. 

The familiar taste erupted on his tongue and he continued licking down Sergio's neck to his chest, all the while rocking his hips and fucking Sergio gently, without pulling out completely. He bit the omega's chest lightly, right above the nipple, and Sergio twisted helplessly beneath him, his arms wrapping automatically around Fernando's shoulders to pull him closer. The beta kissed him on the lips, this time getting a half-hearted response, then his right arm slipped under Sergio's neck and the left arm under his back, pulling him up until he was sitting in Fernando's lap. 

They were face to face now, Fernando could see Sergio from up close, could see every little imperfection on his face, could see his feverish and bloodshot eyes, struggling to remain open through exhaustion. It suddenly felt too intimate, he felt like he didn't have a right to see Sergio like this, didn't deserve it, but the other man clenched around his cock and Fernando snapped out of his daze. He started bucking up his hips lazily, mesmerized by the erotic sounds Sergio was making. The omega was at first meeting Fernando's thrusts by lifting his hips and lowering himself on the other man's cock, but soon he got too exhausted for that and went slack in Fernando's embrace, his arms wrapped loosely around Fernando's waist, his head supported by his shoulder, while the beta kept fucking him slowly. 

When Sergio came with a low cry, for a second Fernando thought he was going to melt. He held him tightly and thrust a few more times until he too shot his load inside the omega. He didn't pull out, as he knew Sergio didn't want him to. Instead he slowly lowered Sergio on the bed, lying next to him. Grabbing the towel fallen on the floor, he cleaned up the other man as much as he could, smiling when he fell asleep almost immediately. Fernando pressed his lips to Sergio's, murmured good night and closed his eyes, snuggling closer to the warm body in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa, I think this was one of the most pornographic things I've ever written and one of the last full-blown sex scenes in this story.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the late update. Real life, you know. Hope you'll like this chapter.

Fernando woke up in the morning still inside Sergio and with his arms wrapped around the omega. He untangled himself from the other man carefully, covered him with a blanket and went to take a shower. Sergio was still sleeping in his bed when he went out and Fernando couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that he was really here. 

He went out to make breakfast and as it was Sunday and he had all the time in the world, he settled for full breakfast instead of cereal or sandwiches. Maybe it was the wonderful smell of bacon, but Sergio soon appeared in the kitchen, freshly showered and wearing only shorts. 

"'Morning," Fernando smiled, "You're just in time. Sit down, breakfast is ready." 

"Thanks," Sergio mumbled when Fernando filled his plate with bacon, eggs and sausages. 

"How are you?" Fernando asked. 

Sergio shrugged. It wasn't an answer, but Fernando didn't insist. He waited till Sergio finished eating and only then started his interrogation. 

"So," he started, mentally cringing when Sergio tensed, "What exactly happened yesterday?" 

"My heat started and I didn't know where to go, so I came here," Sergio said tiredly, "I know I haven't paid you back for the last time, but I promise I will." 

"Stop talking nonsense," Fernando said, "You don't have to pay me back for anything." 

"Yeah, fucking me is a payment enough, isn't it?" Sergio said so bitterly that Fernando recoiled. 

"I... didn't mean that," he said. 

"So it isn't enough," Sergio said. 

"Why are you being like this?" Fernando said irritated, "I told you I don't need..." He stopped abruptly, considering the pros and cons of an idea just formed in his mind. "Actually," he said, "If you really want to pay me back, you can do something for me." 

"What?" Sergio said. 

There was a vulnerable note in his voice that made Fernando's heart clench with guilt. 

"I ask you questions, you answer me," he said anyway. 

Sergio stared at him betrayed. "No." 

"Okay," Fernando said, "Then don't count on me during these two days." 

"Going to kick me out, aren't you?" Sergio sneered. 

"Of course not," Fernando said, "You can stay here as long as you want, but I won't help you with your heat." 

"It's not fair," Sergio cried. 

Fernando didn't say anything, just waited until Sergio clenched his fists and looked up at him darkly. 

"Fine," he growled, "Question away." 

Fernando smiled. "Thank you," he said, sitting in front of Sergio. "Let's-let's start from..." He took a deep breath. "I talked with my brother and he told me everything." 

It wasn't the question he'd intended to ask, it wasn't even a question, but it flew out of his mouth as soon as he opened it. 

"What everything?" Sergio said. 

"I know that you came looking for me. Why did you say you hadn't?" 

"It didn't matter." 

"It mattered to me. Just so you know Israel didn't tell you the truth. I hadn't moved on, hadn't forgotten about you. I've been looking for you for years." 

Sergio's head shot up and his widened eyes met Fernando's. He just stared at him for almost a minute, his chest rising and falling rapidly, then he looked away. "It doesn't matter anymore," he said finally. 

Fernando lowered his head. "Maybe," he said quietly, "I also found out that you'd lived at home for a few months, but you told me you'd run away from that center and started living on your own." 

Sergio pressed his lips together and stared at his empty plate. 

"You didn't run away, did you?" Fernando said. 

"No," Sergio whispered. 

"Then why did you lie to me?" 

"Didn't want to destroy your illusions." 

"What are you talking about?" 

"I wanted..." Sergio's voice wavered, he took a deep breath and continued, "I wanted you to continue thinking I'm a fighter like you used to." He looked up with a sad smile. "But the truth is that every fighter has his limits. You want to know how I got away? I broke, Fernando, they broke me. I started playing by their rules, became a nice little omega for them. I told myself I was doing it just to get away, told myself I was just pretending, but they broke me. They let me out, but I spent months playing a good omega, both because I was terrified my parents would send me back and because their training had messed up with my head. I still-still feel its effects on me after so many years." 

He stopped, seemingly surprised at his own outburst. Fernando got up, approached him and touched his arm, waiting till Sergio looked at him. 

"I still think you're a fighter," Fernando said quietly, but firmly, "I still think you're strong and brave. You've been through so much shit and you still found it in yourself to get up and fight." 

"Fight?" Sergio laughed bitterly. "Do you want to know why I finally decided to run away from home? My parents set me up with some alpha. Invited him to our house and warned me to be at my best behavior. Do you know who it was? One of those fucking bastards that harassed me at school. Not the leader, no, but one of the wingmen. Do you want to know how I reacted?" Sergio looked into his eyes with a desperate look. "I was on my best fucking behavior. I was a good omega. I smiled, but moderately, talked only when addressed to, didn't look into the alpha's eyes longer than three seconds. He recognized me too. He said so himself. Said he remembered me from school. You should have seen the smirk on his face. When he was leaving, he said that he'd love to meet me again and introduce me to his friends. Said his friends would love to see me and fucking leered at me!" Sergio banged his fist on the kitchen counter. "I wish I had broken his teeth, but I just smiled and bowed my head respectfully. I spent the night awake, crying and hating myself, and when the next day my parents announced that they had arranged another 'date' with that fucker, I decided that I'd had enough. I ran away that very night and haven't set foot in that house ever since." 

Fernando stared at him frozen for a few seconds, unsure what to say, but then gave in to the impulse and hugged Sergio tightly. The omega stiffened and soon pushed Fernando away. 

"I don't want your pity," he snapped. 

"I-I'm not..." 

"Do you have other questions?" Sergio asked harshly. 

"I, yeah..." Fernando said, stepping away from the omega and sitting in front of him again. "You said, uh, you said you were living under the bridge. What about that?" 

"I got sick and couldn't go to work, I spent all my money on medicine and food, so I didn't have money to pay the rent and got kicked out. I've been working in that carwash for just two weeks. I'm probably going to get fired too. Are you satisfied?" 

"You got sick?" Fernando said, ignoring his jibe, "Are you feeling okay now?" 

"Yeah, the heat killed the sickness. At least there is something positive in this shit." 

"By the way, why are you in heat? It's been just over a month since your last one." 

Sergio's face darkened immediately. 

"Oh," Fernando said, "Did I say something wrong?" 

"It isn't working that way anymore," Sergio said, his fist clenched around the fork so hard his knuckles were white, "It can happen four times a month or twice a year, there's no pattern. I don't know when the next one will start." 

Fernando blinked, at a loss for words. "I'm-I'm sorry," he tried, "Have you been to a doctor?" 

The fork fell down with a loud clank. "I hate doctors," Sergio hissed. 

Fernando stayed silent, contemplating his friend's words, then took a deep breath and asked him the question he'd been scared to ask. "What have they done to you in that center, Sergio?" 

"I told you. Taught us..." 

"How exactly? What was it like?" 

"Hell," Sergio smirked. 

Fernando closed his eyes. "Did they abuse you?" 

"Depends on how you define abuse," Sergio said nonchalantly, "Is going through a humiliating and terrifying strip search right after you arrive considered abuse? What about tattoo removal? Does it count if first they tried to burn it, but then settled on acid?" 

"Sergio, are-are you serious?" Fernando said horrified. 

"Yeah, they told me my body doesn't belong to me, it belongs to my future alpha and I didn't have a right to blemish it. I spent any little money I got on blemishing it over the years as you can see." 

"Okay," Fernando said, trying to get hold of his emotions and to slip into his professional mode. "What else did they do to you?" 

"What else? Let's see. Manual labor, exercises to the point of exhaustion to keep us in shape for our alphas, frequent punishments for stepping out of line." 

"What kind of punishments?" 

"More manual labor, a day or two without food or without sleep, but most frequently they just tied us up and had their doctors inject us with heat triggering substances. It wasn't an ordinary heat, it was more intense and could last up to a week. Only later I understood that they were testing their new medicaments on us before marketing them." 

"Is that why your heats are now irregular?" Fernando asked, his fists clenched so hard, his nails broke the skin of his palms. 

"I guess," Sergio said, "It's been like that ever since." 

"How-how could your parents let them do that to you?" Fernando said hoarsely. 

Sergio snorted. "I saw them just twice in two years. The meetings were allowed every three months, but I was punished for trying to run away and for calling you that one time and-and for... threatening to do something stupid, so the number of my meetings was reduced. The first time I saw them, I told them what was going on there, but they didn't believe a word. I begged them, literally begged them to take me away, but they didn't believe me. Got punished for that with two weeks of heat tied up in the basement with feeding just once a day." He shuddered and wrapped his arms around himself. "And-and when my parents came for the second time, I was already too scared to tell them anything. They wouldn't believe me anyway." His hands felt up the table nervously. "Do you have a cigarette?" 

Fernando shook his head. 

"Fuck. I need a smoke." 

"I'm going out to buy some things, I'll get you a pack," Fernando said, "Can I ask you another question?" He took a deep breath. "Did they abuse you sexually?" 

Sergio smirked. "They didn't fuck us if that's what you mean," he said, "No matter how much we begged." 

Fernando was silent for a minute, trying to absorb the information. 

"We have to do something about that," he said finally, "We'll bring them before a court. What you told me is enough to close those places down and to throw the people responsible for that in jail." 

Sergio laughed hollowly. "Sure," he spat. 

"I'm not kidding, Sergio. We can't let them get away with this. We have to do something." 

"Who are these we you're talking about?" 

"You and me, Sese," Fernando said. 

Sergio closed his eyes and when he opened them again, there was no emotion. 

"We doesn't exist. Stop talking like these years didn't happen and we're still besties. And stop calling me Sese." 

"Sergio, please..." 

"I answered your questions," Sergio interrupted, his voice dark and his hands shaking, "Now keep true to your part of the deal and fuck me." 

With these words he got up, pulled down his shorts and bent over the counter.

~~~

Sergio was sitting cross-legged in front of the TV when Fernando returned. He didn't say a word to the beta, just took his cigarettes and went to the balcony. Fernando watched how he smoked one cigarette after another, glancing down on the street below or up to the sky, but not at Fernando.

Gathering his courage, Fernando went to the balcony half an hour later. Sergio didn't acknowledge him, continuing to smoke. 

"I'm sorry," Fernando said quietly. 

"What for?" Sergio snorted. 

"For-for forcing you to answer my questions, I guess, and just for everything I do wrong. I'm sorry." 

Sergio shrugged. Fernando had come to hate that gesture. 

"I guess you had the right to know," Sergio murmured. 

It was more or less close to forgiveness. Fernando breathed with relief and decided to push his luck further. 

"You promised me a movie, remember?" he said. 

The crease between Sergio's brows deepened. "I'm not in the mood for a movie," he said. 

"Then what do you want to do?" Fernando asked, trying to sound cheerful. 

"Can you just do whatever you usually do and leave me alone?" Sergio said. 

Fernando's shoulders slumped. "Okay," he said, "Whatever you want." 

He went out from the balcony and opened his laptop, deciding on a whim to look up the omega centers Sergio had told him about. He was right, there was still no law abolishing them in some regions. A lot of them had their pages, inviting the alphas to trust them with their omegas, guaranteeing excellent care and 100% safety, showing off admiring comments from alphas and omegas. _You won't recognize your omega after our magic course,_ promised one of the ads. Fernando smirked bitterly. Indeed, he could barely recognize Sergio. 

He risked a glance at the omega. He was sitting on the couch, watching TV on low volume and laughing sometimes under his breath. Fernando ached to sit there next to him, to laugh with him, to be the one to make him laugh, but his friend was so distant, so closed off. 

Fernando shook his head and returned to his laptop. With a determined breath he started looking for casualties in omega centers. There had been many, so many that Fernando had difficulties guarding his reaction and Sergio looked at him suspiciously. 

Fernando didn't even pay attention to him, he kept reading the various accounts of horrible events supposedly happened in those centers. There were people who claimed their friends or relatives had been killed in those centers, omegas that assured they had been horribly abused and fed heat triggers, that they had gone out of those centers broken both physically and mentally. 

Fernando rubbed his face. There was no way this could go unnoticed. If this was true, there must have been some investigation, someone must have alerted the authorities and brought the case to the court... 

A hand on his crotch startled him out of his musings. He looked down to see Sergio under his desk, his hands working his fly open. Fernando quickly closed all the tabs. 

"What are you doing?" he asked weakly. 

"What does it look like?" Sergio snapped. 

He didn't give Fernando time to answer and wrapped his lips around the head of his cock. He bobbed his head up and down a few times and Fernando bit his lips hard enough to draw blood and gripped the arms of his chair tightly. 

He ended up fucking Sergio on the desk - a cacophony of grunts, harsh breathing and flesh slapping against flesh in a quick rhythm. 

None of them spoke a word after. Fernando didn't dare and Sergio apparently didn't want to, because he immediately retreated to the bedroom and Fernando was left alone with a half-empty pack of cigarettes.

~~~

Sergio came back to the living-room closer to the evening. By that time Fernando had managed to make dinner and had read so many terrifying things about omega centers that even Sergio's sour face couldn't keep him from trying to talk to him about that.

"Sergio," he said and the other man lowered the fork he had brought to his mouth with an exasperated sigh. "We have to talk," Fernando continued. 

"Why?" Sergio said tiredly. 

"Sergio, you can't leave it like this. Those people have to be punished. All the cases opened against those institutions haven't even reached the court, but if we have enough evidence and witnesses, we can do it. Sergio, please, you just have to..." 

"No," Sergio interrupted, "Are you dumb? I told you no. Stop talking about it." 

"But why?" Fernando said quietly. 

"I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to be reminded about it. And I don't want to spend even a minute more than necessary in your company." 

Fernando opened and closed his mouth without a sound, his throat suddenly too tight. 

Sergio swore under his breath. "Look, I'm sorry, I'm just... I'm..." He rubbed his face furiously. "Don't you have other things to do? Someone else to care about? Don't you have a girlfriend or something?" 

Fernando shook his head. 

Sergio narrowed his eyes. "I found women's perfume in one of your drawers." 

"It must be Olalla's," Fernando mumbled, "She's my ex." 

"How long have you been together?" Sergio asked. 

Fernando looked at him surprised. He was still offended, but Sergio's sudden interest in his person was flattering. 

"Two years," he said, "Broke up a few months ago." 

"Why did you break up?" 

"She said I was emotionally distant." 

"Were you?" 

Fernando shrugged. "I guess I was." 

Sergio gave him a small smile and Fernando's heartbeat sped up. He rolled his eyes at himself. _So fucking easy._

"What about your exes?" he asked. 

Sergio laughed theatrically. "Oh, I have a wide range of them. The abusive one? Check. The dominatrix? Check. The romantic one? Check. The pimp? Check. The overbearing one? Check. The sadistic bastard? Check. The junkie? Check. The momma-bear? Check. The trophy wife hunter? Check. Not to mention countless one-night-stands and the people I let fuck me for a sandwich and a shower back when I was young and stupid and convinced it wasn't prostitution if you didn't take money." 

The tightness in Fernando's throat was back, but for a different reason this time. He just stared at Sergio who looked right back, his gaze challenging. 

"Thinking how to kick me out politely?" he sneered, "You can just say it." 

"No," Fernando shook his head, "Of course not, stop talking like that." He took a deep breath. "Was it when you ran away from home?" 

"Yeah, I had no money, nowhere to go, so... I was lucky I was almost constantly in heat those times or I'd have a bunch of STDs now." 

"So you haven't met any decent person?" Fernando said, trying to change the subject before it would make him cry like a child. 

Sergio smirked. "Look at me, Fernando, what decent person would want to have anything to do with me?" He leant back in his chair. "There were a few decent ones, though, but it just... didn't work. I guess I'm not made for relationships." 

"Ours worked pretty good," Fernando said quietly. 

Sergio smiled sadly. "Ours was in another life, Fernando."

~~~

They didn't do much talking for the next two days. Fernando did manage to draw out from Sergio the name and the location of the center he had been in, but that was all. Sergio avoided him like the plague whenever he was home, coming to him only for a fuck and even leaving after that, going to sleep in the guest room. Only in the evening of the third day he didn't hurry to leave after they had sex, but sat up on the bed and took a deep breath.

"Something wrong?" Fernando asked tentatively. 

"No," Sergio shook his head, "It's just... You know, tomorrow I'm going to leave." 

"Yes," Fernando said quietly, "Your heat is over. Do you have a place to go?" 

"I'll drop by the carwash, try to explain everything and ask them not to fire me." 

"And what if they do?" 

Sergio shrugged. "I'll go looking for another job." 

Fernando sat up too. "Look, I'm just offering, so don't take it badly, okay? I just want to say that you can stay here if they fire you, until you find another job that is. Or-or even after that, I don't know, whatever you want." 

He held his breath while Sergio seemed to be contemplating his words. 

"Okay," he said finally, "Maybe. I-I'll think about it." 

Fernando tried not to let his joy show on his face. 

"I can give you a ride in the morning," he offered, "It's on my way." 

"Yeah, thanks, it'll be great," Sergio said, "Though I'm probably fired." 

Fernando hesitated for a second, then took out a key from the drawer. 

"Take it," he told Sergio, "You can come home if they really fire you and won't have to wander the streets till I come back." 

"I-I'll go looking for a job..." Sergio said, clearly taken aback, "I d-don't think..." 

"Take it anyway," Fernando said. 

Sergio nodded once and took the key.

~~~

Faithful to his promise, in the morning Fernando dropped Sergio off at the carwash. He didn't hear from him till the end of the day, but still decided to pass by his workplace in the evening. As soon he approached it, he saw Sergio standing just outside the carwash, smoking a cigarette. He put it off on the brick wall and approached Fernando with a rare smile.

"I see you didn't get fired," Fernando said. 

"No, can you believe it?" Sergio said, "I told the owner about my situation and he not only accepted it, but also offered me a place to stay and said he'd help me out during my heats." 

"What?" Fernando croaked. 

"He's one of the most decent alphas I've met and he's quite good-looking too, so I thought why not," Sergio continued, "I'll have a job, a place to stay and an alpha to fuck me during my heats." 

"I-I..." Fernando cleared his throat, but he still couldn't speak. 

"So, yeah, here's your key," Sergio said a little sheepishly, "Thanks, Fer." 

He pulled the beta into a quick hug and left with a little wave. Fernando remained standing stunned, the metal key warm in his palm.


	8. Chapter 8

The omega care center _Green Haven_ occupied a large territory, hosting a few buildings. It was surrounded by a forest, though it was just at two hours drive from the city. Fernando couldn't believe that Sergio had been so close the entire time. He felt a sharp stab in his heart and took a deep breath to calm down. He had to pose as an alpha and getting teary-eyed every time he remembered Sergio certainly wouldn't help his case. Trying to act confident and imposing, he got out of his car and approached what was supposed to be the administrative building. 

"Good morning," he told the girl at the reception, "I'm Fernando Torres. I called you yesterday to fix an appointment." 

"Please wait a minute, Mr. Torres," the girl smiled, lifting up the receiver. 

Fernando sat in the comfortable armchair, but he didn't have to wait for long. From the corridor appeared a man in his early forties in a casual suit and with a charming smile. 

"Mr. Torres," he said, shaking Fernando's hand, "Paul Varela, public relations manager of _Green Haven_. We're happy to welcome you here." 

"Nice to meet you." 

"Nice to meet you," the man repeated, never stopping smiling, "I'm hopeful we'll be of help to you. You want to trust your omega's care to our center, right?" 

"Yes," Fernando said, hoping his smile didn't look like a grimace, "I'm considering a few places, but yours is the closest to the city and has the most positive feedback." 

"I assure you here your omega will be well taken care of," Varela said, "You won't regret trusting us. We've been in this business for over fifty years and our results are outstanding. What's your problem with your omega if I may ask?" 

"He's become a little unruly," Fernando said with practiced ease, "We're arguing a lot these days and I'm worried he's thinking about divorcing me. Do you think your center can fix it?" 

"Of course," the man's eyes were practically shining, "By the end of our course your omega will be obedient and polite. We're experts on that. Let's go to my office and discuss the details, shall we?" 

Fernando followed him, listening to Varela sprouting lavish praise for his _Green Haven._

"The facility hosts no more than twenty omegas at a time," he told Fernando once they were in his large office, "We'll have a free place in two weeks, so you can bring your omega. If you have troubles with transportation, we have a special transport service. Just fix a time and a place and our people will come and take your omega. Our center is the best in the country. I can't tell you names, but very important people bring their omegas here. We have our cooks, our doctors, psychologists and trainers, of course. We have areas designated for rest, for arts, for different kinds of activities. Your omega will feel good here, I guarantee that." 

"Can I see those facilities?" Fernando asked, "Or speak with your clients?" 

"Oh, no, no, I’m sorry, but you can't," Varela smiled, as if he was talking to a stupid child, "We don't allow strangers to our omegas, especially alphas. Sorry, Mr. Torres, safety policy." 

"Don't you have alpha employees?" 

"Sure we do. We have every kind of employees, alphas, betas, omegas. Our company policy is very inclusive. I'm a beta, Anna, the girl at the reception is an omega, we have also alphas working here, but they're highly trained and prepared professionals. We trust them with our clients." 

"Very well," Fernando said. 

"You can see our wall of honor," the man offered, "The pictures of our graduates, as we call them. Follow me, please." He led Fernando to a small room the walls of which were covered in photographs. "Here, the omegas whose lives we have changed for the better for the past ten years." 

Fernando found Sergio's name sooner than he recognized him in the photo. He certainly didn't look like his life had been changed for the better. None of the pictured omegas did, but Fernando had eyes only for Sergio. He didn't look like the Sergio he had known, but neither the Sergio he knew now. The aggressive and defensive air of the adult Sergio wasn't there yet, but the carefree and natural charm Fernando associated with the young Sergio had already disappeared. His look seemed dead, his expression lifeless. Fernando had to gather all his willpower not to strangle Varela on spot. 

"You know I've done some research," he said instead, "Some people talk about abuse going on in omega centers. I'm a little worried about that." 

Varela's face darkened for a moment, but then his polite smile was back. "Those are lies. Absolutely not true. It's those people who keep demanding rights for omegas, even though they already have all the rights. It's just slander. We're strict and demanding with our omegas and some people consider it abuse. It's not, we take care of our omegas. Trust me, Mr. Torres, you won't regret your choice." 

"Fine," Fernando said, "Thank you for your time. I'll call you one of these days." 

"You're welcome, Mr. Torres," Varela said, "Hope to hear from you soon." 

Fernando shook the man's hand and glanced at the wall with photos again, trying to remember as many names as he could. He went to his car, wrote down the names he remembered, but didn't hurry to leave. Instead he did a circle around the center, trying to find something. The area was surrounded by concrete walls at some places and by barbed wire in others. Fernando noticed cameras at almost every corner. Inside he caught a few glimpses of people moving in and out of the buildings. There was no illegal activity, no sign of omega abuse, yet Fernando knew that somewhere there, inside the buildings or where outsiders couldn't see, something horrible was happening to twenty people. 

He turned back and drove to the city. His hands were shaking and he gripped the steering wheel tighter, trying to focus on the road. He hated himself a little for talking to Varela so politely and warmly. But it was for a just cause. These people had made Sergio suffer. He was going to make sure that they got their punishment whatever it cost him.

~~~

He'd been sitting in his car for over two hours, waiting for Sergio to come out of the carwash. It had been a few weeks since Sergio left and Fernando had been passing by his workplace almost every day. Sometimes Sergio wasn't there, sometimes he saw him, leaning on the wall and smoking a cigarette. Fernando never stopped, didn't want to feel the pain of rejection again, but now he had an excuse to talk to him.

His patience was rewarded when Sergio came out, alone as always, leaned on the wall and lit up a cigarette. Trying to calm his wildly beating heart, Fernando got out of the car and approached Sergio with determined steps. The other man frowned when he noticed him, put out the cigarette and took a step back, but apparently changed his mind and remained in his place, glaring at Fernando. 

"What are you doing here?" he hissed as soon as the beta came close. 

"I, uh, hey," Fernando said awkwardly, "Wanted to check up on you, to see if you're doing well." 

"I'm great, thanks, but don't come here anymore. I'm working here and I don't want my boss to think that I'm using worktime for personal purposes." 

"Is your boss treating you well?" Fernando asked. 

"Yeah," Sergio said impatiently, "He's a very good person." 

"A very good person who uses you just as a fucktoy?" Fernando snapped. 

He surprised himself with the aggression in his voice and his choice of words. He wasn't even going to say it out loud. Sergio, though, seemed more angry than surprised. 

"Fuck off, Fernando," he growled, "It's not your fucking business what I do. I don't want a fucking relationship, I want someone who'll fuck me when I need it and leave me alone then. Why the hell am I even telling you this? Just fuck off. What do you want? Why did you come here? To tell me off?" 

"No, I, no, I'm sorry," Fernando mumbled, "I-I have to tell you something important." 

"Make it quick, I'm in a hurry." 

"I..." Fernando swallowed, "I went to _Green Haven_." 

Sergio's eyes widened and his shoulders tensed. "Why?" he whispered. 

"Wanted to find out more about it," Fernando said, "I met Paul Varela, public relations manager. Do you know him?" 

Sergio didn't answer immediately, but visibly paled, and Fernando assumed he did know Varela. 

"So he's a manager now." Sergio laughed humorlessly. "Back in my time he was just one of the supervisors who had to keep an eye on us so we wouldn't touch ourselves." He laughed again, his eyes clouded with the shadows of memories. "He was responsible for my punishment of two weeks of heat after I told my parents everything. Fed me once a day, brought me water, cleaned me up. He hated it, so his source of fun was tormenting and demeaning me." Sergio shuddered involuntarily. "I'd never hated anyone as much as I hated him." 

Fernando clenched his fists. He regretted he hadn't strangled Varela then. 

"He has to pay for what he's done, Sergio," he said, "All of them have to." 

"Don't start again," Sergio said harshly, "I'm warning you for the last time, Fernando. You've been kind to me and I don't want to be an asshole to you, but I will if you don't leave me alone. I don't want to see them again, to think about it again. I don't want to fight. I just want to live in peace. I just want to have a normal life." 

"This isn't a normal life, Sergio." 

"It's as normal as it gets for me." 

"Okay," Fernando said quietly, "Just promise me that you'll think..." 

"No!" Sergio cried, "I won't promise you anything. I don't want to see you again. Leave and don't come back!" 

He didn't wait for Fernando's answer, he just turned back and went inside, leaving the other man broken-hearted once more.

~~~

For the first few days after meeting Sergio Fernando was determined to respect his wish and to leave both him and the centers alone, but when his anger subsided, he understood that it was already too late to back off. He couldn't think about anything else but what Sergio had told him and what he had read about the omega centers. So that was why instead of working on his case, he found himself knocking on the door of Alfredo Herrero, one of the omegas who had been in _Green Haven_ together with Sergio and whose address he had found thanks to his friend in the police.

The man who opened the door and raised his brows questioningly didn't look like Herrero in the picture. He was grim and gave off an unfriendly vibe. 

"Hello," Fernando smiled as charmingly as he could, "Does Mr. Herrero live here?" 

"Herrero is the former last name of my husband. It's Prieto now, like me." 

"Mr. Prieto, my name is Fernando Torres, I'm a lawyer. I would like to talk to your husband about the omega care center he's been in." 

"Why?" the man said, staring intently at Fernando. 

The beta didn't let himself be intimidated. "It's for a case I'm currently working on," he said politely, "I'm sorry, but I can't disclose much. Can I talk to your husband? It will take just a few minutes." 

"Yeah, sure, come in," the alpha said, "If it helps, I can tell you that center saved our marriage. My husband was a different person after that, a better person." 

"Very interesting," Fernando said. 

"My husband will tell you the same," Prieto said, "Please, sit down. Would you like something to drink?" 

"No, thank you," Fernando answered, "I'd like to talk to your husband if it's possible." 

"Of course," the other man said, "Honey, will you come down, please?" 

A second later another man appeared, glancing at Fernando for a second, then lowering his gaze. 

"Sit down, honey. Mr. Torres is a lawyer and he would like to talk to you about the omega center," the alpha said, "You remember it, don't you?" 

"Sure," the omega said. 

"Tell Mr. Torres how it changed your life." 

"I spent a year there and though I was separated from my beloved, it helped me understand who I am and what I want," the other man said, "It was an amazing experience." 

"Interesting," Fernando smiled, "I've heard rumors that omegas were abused in _Green Haven_. Have you ever experienced or witnessed such cases?" 

The omega looked up just for an instant, but it was enough for Fernando to notice the fear and surprise in his eyes. 

"No, never," he said finally in a perfectly even voice, "It was and still is a respected institution and the staff treated us very kindly. Would that be all, Mr. Torres?" 

"Yes," Fernando said, clearly seeing the distress of the omega, "Thank you. If you remember anything else, please call me." 

He gave the omega his business card, said goodbye to the men and went out. He knew that the Prietos, both of them, weren't telling him something, but prying more would just make them wary. Crossing out Alfredo Herrero's name from his notes, he sped off to the meeting with the witness of his main case, praying to heavens not to let him be late for it.

~~~

Fernando returned home angry and disappointed. He'd been chasing after his witness the whole day, but in vain. The man had refused to see him, because he had been late for their meeting, and he had no good news for his client when he went to see him. He was looking forward to a quiet evening and a long night of sleep, but he had barely entered his apartment, when his phone rang.

"Hello," Fernando said tiredly. 

"Mr. Torres? It's-it's Alfredo Prieto, we've met today." 

"Yeah, I remember, Mr. Prieto," Fernando said, his tiredness immediately forgotten, "What is it?" 

"I-I-I'd like to see you. Now, if you're still interested in-in..." 

"Yeah, sure, where are you?" 

"Can you come to my house?" the man said, "We have only two hours." 

"Be there in thirty minutes," Fernando said, running out of the house as fast as he could. 

Alfredo Prieto looked nervous and pale. He offered brandy to Fernando and when the beta refused, poured some for himself. 

"I didn't want to talk about it at my husband's presence," he started, "He doesn't like it when I talk about that. He prefers to believe his own version of events." 

"And what is your version?" Fernando asked. 

The man gulped down the contents of his glass. "It was hell," he said, "It was humiliating and destructive. I still have nightmares about that time. I went there on my own will, you know, because I wanted my alpha to be happy with me. But there is a trick, you can go there on your own, but you can't get out without the consent of your alpha. And they try to keep you there as long as they can, because your alpha pays for it and they have a guinea pig for testing their heat triggers." 

"So it's true," Fernando said, "They experimented on omegas." 

"You've heard about that?" 

"Yeah, there are some cases, a few omegas talked about it, but there was no evidence, they didn't even start an investigation." 

Prieto smirked. "No evidence... My heat cycle is fucked up after all those triggers and they call it no evidence?" 

"Did you go to the police after getting out?" Fernando asked. 

"I didn't even think about it," Prieto continued, "They messed up with my head too bad, the only thing I wanted was to be a good omega for my alpha and to forget that hell." 

"Do you remember the people who were with you there?" Fernando asked. 

"I think I do." 

"Does the name Sergio Ramos say anything to you?" Fernando asked, his heart suddenly starting to beat quicker, "He was a kid at that time, about seventeen or eighteen, dark hair, tan skin, bright eyes." 

He didn't know why he asked. Sergio had been there, he knew that, why he had to know the details that were only going to hurt him. 

"Sergio Ramos," the other man said, "Yeah, sure I remember him. They did a number on the poor kid." 

He fell silent, apparently waiting for Fernando to ask him more questions, but the beta wasn't sure he wanted to know more. 

"Is he your client?" Prieto asked. 

"My... Yeah, yeah, it's him," Fernando lied. 

"He's quite a rebel, isn't he?" Prieto smiled, "His story was pretty unusual too. He'd been sent to the center, because he was involved with some beta." 

Fernando's hands shook. "What-what else do you remember?" he asked, not really wanting to hear the answer. 

"I remember how they made a show of removing his tattoo," the omega said, "Apparently when they had tried to do it, the kid had broken away and tried to run. They chased after him for ten minutes along the corridors. It must have looked pretty funny, but we were terrified, because we knew that they would do something horrible once they caught him. And when they did, they decided to burn away his tattoo in front of everyone to teach him and all of us a lesson. I don't think I'm ever going to forget his screams. Or the way he was thrashing in their hold or how..." 

"Okay," Fernando almost shouted, "Is that all you remember about him?" 

"Uh, yeah, I think. The rest that happened to him was pretty standard, it happened to everyone. Though I'm not sure, when I got out, he was still there." 

"Thank you, Mr. Prieto." 

"Oh, also, I don't know how this will help, but I remember that the kid couldn't talk about anything but his boyfriend," the other man said, "We had this... training hour twice a week, when we would stand up one by one and talk about our... sins, about what we'd done to end up in the center and how sorry we were for doing all of that. If we refused, the trainer would talk about it and explain how wrong we were to have done that. Sergio, he never did that, never talked, never... repented. At least not while I was there. When they asked him if he realized what he had done, he answered that he had done nothing wrong. He kept repeating that his boyfriend was coming for him, that he would find him and save him. He looked like he believed it at first, but the boyfriend didn't come and gradually he stopped mentioning him altogether. They noticed it and every time he refused to talk about his wrongdoings, they started taunting him, asking him when his boyfriend was coming, using it to prove to him that an omega should never even think about being with a beta. He just kept silent, though we saw how close to tears he was." 

Fernando blinked rapidly to push back his own tears, but a traitorous one still escaped and he quickly wiped it away. Prieto obviously tried not to stare, but failed. 

"You..." he said quietly, "You're that beta, aren't you?" 

Fernando cleared his throat and got up. "Thank you, Mr. Prieto." 

The man looked embarrassed. "You're welcome," he mumbled. 

"One more thing," Fernando said, "Are you ready to repeat what you know about the center in the court?" 

Prieto took a step back. "I-I don't think so," he said, "My husband won't like it and... It's in the past now, Mr. Torres. I don't want to live in the past." 

"I don't think it's just your past, Mr. Prieto," Fernando said. 

The man looked down. "No," he said, "I'm sorry, but I won't." 

"There are people suffering there right now," Fernando said, "There might be kids going through what you did." 

Prieto opened the door. "My husband is going to be home soon," he said apologetically. 

"Yes," Fernando nodded, "Thanks again. If you change your mind, you know my number."

~~~

It was late, but Fernando was still working at home. His official case and Sergio's case were absorbing the last bits of his energy, but he continued working despite everything.

The shrill beeping of the intercom abruptly woke him up. He blinked and opened his eyes and closed them again, blinded by the light. Only a few seconds later he realized that he'd fallen asleep on his desk and hurried to the door, rubbing his eyes. 

"Who's there?" he muttered. 

"It's me, Sergio." 

The sleepiness was gone that very second. Fernando quickly opened the door and waited, his heart thudding loudly in his chest. A minute later Sergio appeared in his line of sight, a small bag in his hand. 

"Hey," he mumbled, looking anywhere but Fernando. 

"Hey," the other man answered quietly, "Come in." 

Sergio didn't move. "Look, I-I know I'm crossing all the lines," he said, staring at his feet, "But can I please crash at your place tonight?" 

"Sure," Fernando said, beckoning him to come in, "You're not crossing any lines, Sergio. You're welcome to stay as long as you want. You know it." 

"Thanks," Sergio murmured. 

He put the bag in the hall and walked into the living room, sitting on the couch. Fernando went after him. 

"What happened?" he asked tentatively. 

Sergio clenched his fists. "That asshole kicked me out," he growled. 

"I thought he was a good person," Fernando said bitterly. 

Lost in his fury, Sergio apparently didn't even notice the jibe. "He thought that if I work for him, then he owns me," he started rambling, standing up and pacing back and forth, "Or if I let him fuck me during my heat, then I have to let him fuck me whenever he wants. When I told him to fuck off, he fired me. I was so mad, I didn't even take my wages for this week!" 

He crossed his tattooed arms on his chest and only then Fernando noticed the bruises on them. 

"Did he hurt you?" he asked quietly. 

Sergio looked at his arms and hid them behind his back. "We had a little scuffle, nothing serious. I'm stronger than that asshole, so he's got even more bruises." He slumped down on the couch again. "Can I stay here tonight?" he asked. 

"I told you, Sergio, sure you can," Fernando said patiently. He got up and returned with the spare key, opened Sergio's palm, put the key there and closed his fingers around it. "You can stay," he said. 

Sergio stared at him for almost a minute. 

"What?" Fernando said, unnerved under his gaze. 

Sergio gave him a faint smile. "You're a good person," he said finally, his face contorted, as though the thought of Fernando being a good person physically hurt him. 

"You can take the guest room," Fernando muttered and Sergio nodded, keeping his look down and following Fernando silently.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is way late than usual and I'm really sorry. Hope you'll still enjoy it. Thank you for your patience.

Sergio slept in the guest room that night and the following nights he stayed at Fernando's place. By day he went out to look for a job, but so far he'd had no success and he was getting grimmer and grimmer every day. 

He still avoided Fernando, though the beta felt like that this time it wasn't because of anger, but more because of embarrassment. No matter how much Fernando tried to make him feel at home, to assure him that he was welcome there, that he didn't have to feel obligated to pay him back, he could still see how uncomfortable Sergio was for accepting his help. 

The omega tried to repay him by buying food and making delicious meals. Fernando knew he was spending his last money on it, but he also knew it was important for Sergio, so he didn't object. 

On Sunday Sergio went out early in the morning as always and when Fernando woke up, breakfast was already waiting for him. He nibbled at the sandwiches and proceeded to his work. He had found out that the most controversial omega centers and the biggest pharmaceutical companies that produced heat triggers belonged to the same corporation and was now trying to put together all the facts he had. He hadn't told Sergio about his new discoveries, because the other man was in an increasingly dark mood and snapped at Fernando even for innocent questions like how he'd slept. He prayed to heavens to help Sergio find a job soon or it would be impossible even to say hello to him. 

From the way Sergio slammed the door, Fernando realized that he'd had no success also today. He didn't even glance at Fernando and just stormed to his room. Fernando sighed and returned to his work, but half an hour later Sergio emerged from the guest room half-naked as usual (Fernando hated that stupid habit) and grimly went to the fridge, taking a bottle of water. Knowing that there was no way Sergio would react to this calmly, Fernando still got up and approached him. 

"How did it go?" he asked as gently as possible. 

"What do you think?" Sergio snapped, "I got the job of the president, that's why I'm so fucking happy." 

"Sorry," Fernando said calmly, "So still nothing?" 

"Yeah, fucking nothing, because no one wants to hire an omega with an unstable heat cycle," Sergio snarled, "That's your fault! I followed your advice and told them everything in advance. Tomorrow I'll say that my heat repeats twice a year and they'll hire me in no time." 

"Yeah, but what if your heat starts the next day, they realize that you've lied to them and fire you?" 

"Do you think I haven't thought about it?" Sergio cried, "I fucking did! What do you want me to do? If I tell them, I won't have a job, if I don't tell them, I'll get fired. Fucking shit!" He kicked the fridge door shut. "I fucking hate this all." 

"I'm so sorry," Fernando said, "Can I... help you? Just tell me, I'll do what I can." 

Sergio sent him a dirty look. "Right now I need someone to suck my dick. If you can do it, c'mon, be my guest." 

"Okay," Fernando said. 

He walked to Sergio and sank to his knees. His fingers crawled under the waistband of Sergio's shorts and pulled them down. The omega squirmed in his place. 

"What are you doing?" he said hoarsely. 

"Trying to give you a blowjob," Fernando said, "Didn't you want one?" 

He licked experimentally along Sergio's exposed cock, making the other man gasp. Fernando smiled and took the tip of Sergio's cock in his mouth, sucking on it like on a lollipop. 

"Don't think, ah," Sergio's hands rested on Fernando's head, pulling him up on his cock, his nails digging in Fernando's scalp. "Don't think I'm going to let you fuck me just because you're giving me head." 

Fernando pulled back. "I wasn't even going to ask," he said calmly. 

"You weren't going to ask?" Sergio smirked, "You mean you were just going to do it without asking?" 

"Stop twisting my words," Fernando said, "I'm the lawyer here." 

"Yeah, sure," Sergio said bitterly, "You're a lawyer and I can't even..." 

Fernando chose that exact moment to swallow Sergio's cock again, shutting him up effectively. He looked up at the omega, who had thrown his head back and was panting heavily. Fernando smirked and tried to relax his throat to get more of Sergio's dick inside. The omega's fingers were in his hair again, alternating between hard tugs and gentle caresses, but when Fernando made a swallowing motion, the other man pulled his hair so painfully that it almost brought tears to his eyes. 

"Sorry," Sergio muttered. 

Fernando just started bobbing his head on Sergio's cock more energetically. The omega's knees were noticeably shaking and he leaned against the fridge, moaning loudly. Fernando started working with his tongue, reveling in the sounds Sergio was making. Getting bold, the beta grazed his teeth lightly over Sergio's cock and the other man cried out in pleasure. He thrust into Fernando's mouth, then mumbled something apologetically. Fernando shook his head and stroked his hipbone as a permission. That was all Sergio needed to start fucking into his mouth, while Fernando was trying to control his breathing and to relax to let Sergio take his pleasure the way he wanted. 

"Oh my God," Sergio moaned. 

His breathing had grown heavier and his thrusts had became irregular, and Fernando was almost choking. 

"Oh fuck, I'm..." Sergio panted, trying to pull his cock out. 

Fernando gripped his hipbones and shook his head. 

"Fer, I'm going to..." 

Fernando nodded, starting to suck eagerly. Sergio's eyes widened, then squeezed shut, as he came in hot, white stripes down Fernando's throat. When he pulled his softening cock out, Fernando collapsed on the ground coughing. 

Sergio slid down next to him. 

"Are you okay?" he asked. 

"Yeah," Fernando said hoarsely, "Yeah, I am. How are you?" 

"Great," Sergio said, "Uh, thanks." 

"You're welcome," Fernando smiled, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. 

He got up and went to the bathroom to clean up. When he came back, Sergio was sitting on the couch, his eyes closed. Fernando quietly sat down next to him. 

"You didn't have to do it," Sergio said after a while. 

"No, but I wanted to," Fernando answered. 

"You can fuck me if you want," Sergio said. 

Fernando's heart clenched. "Thanks, I'll pass today," he said with fake cheerfulness. 

Sergio shrugged. "As you wish." 

"Instead you could..." Fernando started and Sergio's head snapped to him, his eyes wide and his look unguarded and vulnerable. "I mean we could look for a job together maybe? Online, I mean. If you want." 

He held his breath while Sergio was thinking, and grinned widely when he nodded. 

"Okay, but first let's get you a haircut," he said, trying not to sound like an excited teenager. 

Sergio frowned. "Why? I like my hair." 

"I like it too," Fernando said, carefully taking a strand of Sergio's hair between his thumb and index finger, "But I still think you need a haircut to make you more presentable in the eyes of employers. Let's go, I know a pretty good barbershop not too far away." 

Sergio looked down. "I don't have enough money," he mumbled, "We'll do without a haircut." 

"Then I'll give you back the money for all the food you bought this week," Fernando suggested. 

"No," Sergio said quietly, but firmly, "Lend me some and I'll return it as soon as I get a job." 

"Okay," Fernando said, "Let's go."

~~~

The rest of the day was spent on improving Sergio's chances to get a job. He got a new, shorter haircut, they rewrote his CV, looked for jobs online and sent the CV to a few places. Then Fernando passed to Sergio's garderobe. He had a pair of decent jeans, but the few shirts he had were terrible. Fernando gave him one of his simple white shirts and told him to wear it with the jeans if he was called for interviews.

Sergio was surprisingly calm during the whole process, didn't talk a lot, but didn't snap at Fernando or complain. He did categorically refuse Fernando's offer to buy him a phone and they had to put Fernando's number in his CV. 

On Monday Fernando received answers from three places and immediately called home to inform Sergio about it. He didn't hear from him for the whole day and when he came back home, Sergio wasn't there yet. 

Fernando tried to stay calm and focus on his work, tried to make dinner to distract himself from the thoughts, but it didn't work. It was late, Sergio wasn't back and though he knew it was irrational, but he couldn't stop the fear that Sergio had escaped from him again. He already wanted to go out and look for him, when he heard the door open. 

He quickly went to the hall. Sergio had just pulled his jacket off and turned to look at Fernando with unreadable expression on his face. Fernando froze in his place, unsure what to do, how to ask about the interviews. Sergio approached him slowly, took his face into his hands and kissed him on the lips. Fernando was too shocked to answer at first and when he came to his senses, the kiss was already over. 

"I got the job," Sergio told Fernando with a grin. 

"R-really?" Fernando said dazedly, "Which one?" 

"Waiter at that fancy restaurant," Sergio said, "Cool, yeah? They needed a waiter urgently and I was one of the few who had experience and agreed to work for the laughable sum they offered." He laughed. "It doesn't matter. I got a job now and I guess I have you to thank for it." 

"Any time," Fernando smiled. 

He set the table and he and Sergio had the most pleasant dinner since their teenage years. Sergio talked about his new job and Fernando about his. It seemed almost normal, but Sergio didn't mention the kiss and Fernando was too scared to spoil his good mood to start talking about it. 

Despite that when Fernando went to sleep he felt happier than he had in a long while.

~~~

They went on like that for a couple of weeks. Sergio didn't kiss him again, but neither avoided him as stubbornly as before. He answered when Fernando asked him about his job or other innocuous subjects, but closed off whenever he sailed into dangerous waters.

Their relationship didn't resemble a friendship, they were more like flatmates, polite and friendly with each other, but not too close. It was frustrating for Fernando, but it was better than Sergio's initial hostile attitude, and every evening he still waited with trepidation when Sergio would return and exchange a few words with him. 

This evening too he'd come home sooner than Sergio and was in the process of making dinner, when his phone rang. His eyebrows shot up when he saw the caller ID, but he answered nonetheless. 

"Olalla?" 

"Hi, Nando." 

"Hey, what's up? I wasn't expecting your call." 

"Yeah, I know, we haven't talked for a while. How are you?" 

"I'm great. You, uh, how are you?" 

"Fine, thanks. Listen, Nando, actually I've called for something really stupid. Did I leave my perfume at your place by any chance?" 

"Your perfume? Oh, yeah, it's here." 

"Really? I've been looking for it everywhere. Are you home? Can I come to take it?" 

"Uh, yeah, I'm already home. You can come." 

Twenty minutes later Olalla was sitting in Fernando's kitchen, sipping her coffee awkwardly. Fernando didn't feel any less awkward. They had parted on friendly terms, but hadn't talked since that and after the last few crazy months, he felt like their relationship of two years had happened in another lifetime. 

"How's your job?" she asked in an attempt to make a conversation. 

"Fine, I'm working on a new case. How's yours?" 

"Pretty good. I finished the design of the senator's apartment and she recommended me to some of her friends." 

"That's amazing!" 

"Yeah, I know," Olalla grinned, "What about your personal life if you don't mind me asking? Something new?" 

Fernando smiled sadly. "I... don't think so." 

"You don't think so?" Olalla raised a brow. 

"Well, it's... It doesn't matter. What about you?" 

"I'm meeting some guy. He's nice, but I don't know how serious it will get." 

"Should I give him the 'if you hurt her' talk?" Fernando joked. 

Olalla laughed. "No, I told you he's nice. I really like him. It's just that he's often out of the country. Travels a lot because of his job. He's a photographer." 

"Oh, an artistic personality, then." 

"You could say so." 

"Is he a beta?" 

"Is that a joke? Sure he is." 

"Yeah, sorry, I was just..." 

He was saved by the sound of the key turning in the lock and a second later Sergio appeared. 

"Hey," he said, then he stopped in his tracks when he saw Olalla, "Oh, sorry, I didn't know you had guests." 

"No, come in, it's okay," Fernando smiled, "This is Olalla. Ola, this is Sergio." 

"Nice to meet you, Sergio," Olalla said, glancing at the omega somewhat suspiciously. 

"Nice to meet you," Sergio muttered. 

"So you are... Fernando's friend?" Olalla said. 

"More like his roommate." 

"You live here?" 

"Sergio is my childhood friend, Ola," Fernando interrupted. 

"Oh," Olalla said, "Wait, Sergio? He's _that_ Sergio? The omega you..." 

"Yeah, it's him," Fernando said abruptly. 

Olalla stared at him, her eyes wide, and Sergio frowned. 

"Is there something on my face?" he asked rather rudely. 

"Oh, no, I'm sorry," Olalla said quickly, "It's just that... You don't look like an omega." 

Sergio's eyes sparkled with an evil fire and he grinned humorlessly. "It must be shocking for you, but we come in all forms and shapes," he said venomously, "We can be bald and long-haired, tall and short, blonde and brunette, fat and thin, muscular and puny. It's almost like... we are people too. Shocking, I know." 

Olalla was bright red. "I-I'm sorry," she stammered, "I didn't mean to offend you." 

"People like you can't offend me anymore," Sergio spat, "I can only laugh at your stupid misconceptions and the fake reality you create for yourselves. You're no more than..." 

"Sergio, stop it!" Fernando hissed. 

Sergio looked at him murderously, but Fernando was too mad to care. Olalla looked on the verge of tears, she was looking for her jacket frantically and Fernando retrieved it and gave it to her. 

"Thank you," she hissed, "I think I'd better leave." 

She grabbed her purse and almost ran out of the house. Fernando went after her. 

"Ola, I'm so sorry," he said, reaching her by the elevator, "He's just... He's..." 

"He's an asshole, that's what he is," Olalla snapped, "I didn't mean to be offensive, I just... It just slipped out. I apologized. What does he want?" 

"He-he's been going through a bit of rough patch," Fernando mumbled. 

"Don't make excuses for him," Olalla said furiously, "Why is he living with you anyway? How do you tolerate him?" 

"I'm sorry," Fernando could only say. 

"Not your fault," Olalla said, stepping into the elevator, "It was nice to see you again, Fer. Bye." 

Fernando smiled and turned back to his apartment. Sergio was standing in the middle of the room, his arms crossed on his chest and his look challenging. But Fernando wasn't in the mood for his bullshit. 

"What the fuck?" he hissed, glaring at Sergio. 

"It's not my fault your girlfriend is an idiot," Sergio spat. 

"She's not my girlfriend and she's not an idiot. You were just being an asshole for no reason." 

"She started it!" 

"Are you five? She apologized. You attacked him as though she's the reason of all your problems." 

"Yeah, c'mon, defend your precious girlfriend. She's an idiot! Can't believe you replaced me with her!" 

Fernando's brows rose to his hairline. "Replaced you with her? Are you... jealous?" he asked incredulously. 

"What?" Sergio shrieked, "Me? Jealous of her? Why the fuck would I be jealous? What are you, my boyfriend or what?" 

"Then why are you being such an intolerable asshole?" 

"Oh, so I'm intolerable," Sergio shouted, "Maybe I should free you of my presence then? Yeah, that's what I'm going to do. You can go back to your idiotic girlfriend and you can discuss what omegas should be like together!" He strode to the door, but turned back before opening it. "Oh, by the way, I got my salary today, so here's some of the money I owe you." 

He threw a few banknotes on the table, then stormed out, slamming the door shut. Hating himself for giving in, Fernando ran after him. 

"Sergio, wait," he cried, "I'm sorry, please, wait. Please don't leave." 

Sergio didn't even glance at him. He jabbed the elevator button and disappeared inside in an instant.

~~~

Sergio had been gone for two days and Fernando wasn't able to think about anything else but him. He hated how much it affected him, but couldn't do anything. He barely stopped himself from going to Sergio's workplace, holding on the last bits of his pride. He couldn't help but feel guilty for getting mad at Sergio, even though he realized that the omega had been in the wrong.

His situation was so bad, that within two days most of his coworkers asked him if he was sick, and Israel, who seemed to have a knack for calling him whenever something was wrong, kept pressuring him to tell him what was bothering him. Fernando, however, wasn't in the mood to deal with his advice and didn't tell him about Sergio. 

On the evening of the third day he was already regretting it, because he badly needed to talk to someone, to get some advice to understand what he had to do. His was contemplating calling Israel or his friend Juan whom he hadn't seen for so long that it was already inappropriate, but he didn't have time to call anyone, because at that moment he heard the door open. 

He immediately forgot everything he'd rehearsed to be prepared for this and just froze in his place, waiting for Sergio to appear. He didn't move when Sergio came in, looked at him and then away. 

"Hey," he mumbled. 

"Hey," Fernando answered. 

Sergio walked closer and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for snapping at you," he said quickly, "And I'm sorry for snapping at your ex and for calling her an idiot. I might have overreacted." 

"Might have?" Fernando said. 

"Okay, I did overreact," Sergio said, sounding like a stubborn child. Then he looked up at Fernando and the other man almost gasped, seeing the pain and despair in his eyes. "Please don't make repeat my apologies," Sergio whispered. 

He sounded like it was important and Fernando realized that he had involuntarily reminded him of _Green Haven_ again. He got up and pulled Sergio into a hug. 

"I'm just happy you're back," he murmured. 

Sergio didn't really return the hug, but he put his palms on Fernando's sides gently and smiled when Fernando pulled back to look at him. 

"Where did you stay?" Fernando asked. 

"At a friend's place," Sergio answered. 

Something about the way he'd said it didn't sound right to Fernando. "Friend or ex-lover?" he blurted out. 

Sergio narrowed his eyes. "Does it matter?" 

Fernando shook his head, though he wanted to say that it mattered. He wanted to ask if Sergio had slept with that friend and if he did, then why he slept with them and not with Fernando. But it was stupid. He had no right to tell those things to Sergio, to demand something from him. Just thinking about it made him feel like a selfish dick, so he took a breath and forced himself to smile at Sergio again. 

"Let's order a takeaway," he offered. 

Sergio nodded and turned back to go to the bathroom. There was a bite mark on the spot between his shoulder and neck, and Fernando had to dig his nails in his palm to resist the sudden jolt of jealousy hitting him like a lightning.


	10. Chapter 10

Fernando pulled over next to the small, lonely house on the edge of the field. The building looked like it was going to fall apart any moment. Fernando got out of the car, but hadn't even taken a step to the door, when it opened and a well-built woman, who had to be Anna-Maria Bonaventura, went out and pointed her rifle at him. 

"Who are you and what do you want?" she said menacingly. 

She would look menacing also without the rifle - a tall, burly woman in military boots and a worn-out parka, her hair disheveled and her eyes mad. Fernando raised his hands in a calming gesture. 

"I'm Fernando," he said, "Fernando Torres, the lawyer. You called me yesterday, remember? You said a friend gave you my number." 

"Oh, right, you're the idiot who wants to go against the bad guys," Bonaventura said, lowering the rifle slowly, "Come in." 

Fernando followed her to the house. From the inside it didn't look as bad. It was clean and even cozy, if a table, two chairs and a bed can be considered cozy. 

"Nice place," Fernando said, trying to break the tension. 

The woman looked at him with a smirk. "Oh, really? Don't lie to me, Mr. Lawyer, we both know this is a shithole. My mothers would be horrified if they could see me. I guess I'm lucky they're both dead." She laughed roughly. "But I like it here, it's away from the city and the assholes that live there. It's just me and my little garden." 

"Don't you ever go to the city?" 

"Only when it's absolutely necessary," Bonaventura said, "Usually I go there to collect money from my tenants. But you aren't here to talk about my tenants. Sit down, don't be shy." 

Fernando sat down on one of the chairs and the woman sat in front of him. 

"Miss Bonaventura..." Fernando started. 

"Call me Roca, I hate that stupid name. When someone uses it, I feel like they're mocking me." 

"Roca, you called me yesterday." 

"Tell me something I don't know, boy." 

Fernando sighed inwardly and decided to get straight to the point. "Do you have information on omega centers, in particular on _Green Haven_?" he asked. 

The woman snorted. "Do I? I spent three years of my life in that hell. I haven't been able to forget it in fifteen years and I'm not going to forget it till the end of my life." 

"Why were you sent there?" 

"I was too independent for an omega according to my mothers, too stubborn, didn't want to play by the rules, so they sent me there to learn some omega etiquette." 

"Did you?" 

"Did I learn? Oh, sure I did. I kept fighting against it, against them, thinking that one day I'd win, but you can't win there. You either lose, or go insane." 

Roca's story was similar to the stories of all the other _Green Haven_ omegas that Fernando had met, even though she had been there almost twenty years ago. She had been abused, used as a free working force, starved, injected with heat triggers. _Green Haven_ had left its mark on her like on the others, messing with her health, her psyche, her whole life. 

When she finished her story, Fernando was left with the same nauseous feeling he had every time he heard the truth about the omega centers. 

"Thank you, Roca," he said, "One more question. Would you repeat what you told me in the court if necessary?" 

"Sure," the woman shrugged. 

Fernando's eyes widened. "R-really? You would?" 

"Yeah, anything to bring those bastards down." 

"Thank you!" Fernando said, "You're the first omega I'd met that agreed to testify against them." 

"Well, they are all scared," Roca said, "But I don't have anything to be scared of anymore. What bothers me is why you would want to go against the system. Are you tired of the bags of gold you get or what?" 

Fernando smiled sadly. "I have a friend who's gone through what you did," he said, "A very close friend. Well, we used to be close. Now he..." He shook his head. "I'm sorry, I won't burden you with that." He stood up and smiled at the woman. "Thanks again. I'll keep in touch." 

Roca gave him an understanding look. "Fine, pretty boy. Take care of your... friend." 

"Promise," Fernando said. 

He got into his car and headed to the city, still unable to believe his luck.

~~~

Fernando's good mood remained unaltered despite a shitty day at work, losing his watch somewhere and getting stuck in a traffic jam. But all of that wasn't important. He finally had a witness who was ready to talk. Maybe if the other omegas knew that one of them was willing to step forward, they would follow her example? And the first one he had to talk to was, of course, Sergio.

The omega seemed in a pretty good mood too and Fernando knew that he couldn't lose this opportunity. After dinner when Sergio was doing the dishes, humming under his breath, Fernando decided that this was the best moment to approach him without risking that he would get mad and disappear for days, as he was in the habit of doing. 

"You know, I met a woman today," he started and almost facepalmed at his own stupidity. He always lost the ability to express his thoughts meaningfully when he was around Sergio. 

Sergio looked over his shoulder with a raised brow. "And?" he said, "I'm not really interested in your sex life." 

Fernando rolled his eyes. "I didn't mean that. She's an omega and..." 

Sergio turned to him, his gaze darkened. "An omega? One omega at home isn't enough for you?" 

"Sergio, stop it. I went to talk to her, because she's been in _Green Haven_." 

Sergio dried his hands and went to stand in front of Fernando, gripping the counter edge. "Why?" he said. 

"You know why," Fernando answered. 

"I told you that I don't..." 

"Wait, wait, Sergio," Fernando interrupted, "Sergio, she agreed to testify against them. Do you know what it means? We have a witness, Sese. I think more people will agree to testify if they know there's already someone. Think about it, if you agreed too..." 

"No!" Sergio shouted, "For fuck's sake, why don't you understand that I don't want to have anything to do with them anymore? I just want to forget, just to forget." 

"I understand, Sergio, but the best way to forget will be to defeat them, to expose them to the world." 

"Shut up!" Sergio cried so loudly that Fernando winced. The omega's face was distorted in rage, his breathing was labored. "You..." He pointed an accusing finger to Fernando. "You're just like everyone else. Trying to make me do things I don't want to do, saying that they know better than me what's good for me. You're no different!" 

"No, Sergio," Fernando said, trying to ignore the pain Sergio's words had caused, "No, I'm not. I just want to help." 

That was definitely the wrong thing to say, because Sergio's eyes suddenly burnt with a mad fire. 

"Help?" he shouted, "I don't need your help! I don't need you! Where were you when I really needed you? Where were you when after sixteen hours of hard work I crawled into the bed, every muscle hurting, too tired to sleep, too tired to do anything except crying and calling your name and begging you to come for me? Where were you then?" 

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Fernando murmured tearfully. 

"Or when I came back home, broken to pieces, living only by the hope of seeing you again, dreaming silly dreams of finding you and escaping with you, when I sneaked out of the house for you, though I was scared to death that I'd be sent back to that hell, where were you? You weren't there. You weren't." 

"I didn't know," Fernando whispered, "I-I don't know what to say, Sergio. I just... I-I'm so sorry, I didn't know... Please let me make it up to you." 

"You can't make it up to me," Sergio hissed, "You can't make up for the months I spent sucking dicks in alleys just to have a hot meal. Even then, though I knew you'd forgotten me, I couldn't help dreaming that you'd suddenly appear on my doorstep and sweep me off my feet and we'd live happily even after." He wiped his eyes with his fists, though they were dry. "But you weren't there. You weren't there when I kept changing partners like socks, getting hurt and hurting others, and I couldn't help but think that it wouldn't have happened had it been you in their place." 

"I'm so sorry," Fernando forced out. He felt like his chest had turned to a concrete block and was squeezing his heart. He feared his heart would burst. "So sorry. Let me..." 

"No!" Sergio cried, walking back step by step, "You can't! You can't! I don't need you! I don't need anyone! You can't!" 

His eyes still burning with a bright fire, Sergio turned on his heels and stormed out. Fernando didn't even have the strength to go after him. He fell down on a chair, hands in hair, as a strangled scream tore out from his throat.

~~~

He'd been dozing off and startling awake on the couch for the past two hours, waiting for Sergio. The chance that he'd be back was low, it wasn't unheard of Sergio to disappear for a few days, but Fernando stubbornly waited.

When he opened his eyes for another time, there was a blanket over him and a hand on his shoulder. He licked his dry lips, trying to get hold of his heart. 

"Sergio?" 

The hand withdrew quickly. There was no answer for almost a minute and Fernando didn't dare turn back and look, then he heard some noise, as though someone got up from the floor. 

"I brought ice cream," Sergio said, "Do you want some?" 

Fernando sat up. Sergio was standing next to the couch, looking at his feet. 

"Yeah," Fernando said, "Yeah, I'd like to, thanks." 

Sergio nodded and went to the fridge, bringing the ice cream and spoons. He sat next to Fernando and they started eating in silence. They continued sitting like that long after the ice cream had finished, and Fernando was starting to nod off again when he felt the weight of Sergio's forehead against his temple. 

His eyes snapped open and he froze, acutely aware of Sergio's erratic breathing warming his face, of Sergio's lips almost touching his jaw. He slowly wrapped an arm around Sergio's shoulders and pulled him to his chest. Sergio hugged him tightly, his whole body shaking, and Fernando rocked him back and forth till he calmed down. 

"Let's go to sleep," he whispered then, and Sergio nodded, though made no attempt to untangle himself from Fernando's arms. 

Fernando smiled and leaned back on the couch, not moving even when his back started hurting from the uncomfortable position. Sergio, however, seemed to have noticed his discomfort, as he reluctantly got up and stared at Fernando. 

"Thank you," he whispered. 

"For what?" Fernando asked. 

Sergio only smiled sadly and started walking to the guest room. 

"Night, Fer," he called. 

"Night," Fernando answered. 

There was suddenly a lump the size of a tennis ball in his throat and he gasped for air, trying to swallow it. It took him a few tries, but he managed it and went to sleep, still feeling the warmth of Sergio's body against his own.

~~~

"You look like shit," Isra announced, as soon as Fernando appeared on his doorstep.

"Language," Fernando admonished, peeking in. 

"Relax, the kids are out with their mother," Israel laughed and pulled Fernando into a hug, "Glad to see you, brother. Finally you found time for me. You seem very busy there." 

"Yeah, yeah I am," Fernando said, sitting down in an armchair, "I've got this case and then something else out of work and then there is, there is..." He sighed deeply. "Shit, I don't know." 

"What's wrong, Fer? What else is there?" 

"There is... There is Sergio." 

"Right," Israel said, "So he's back." 

Fernando nodded. 

"That's why you look like shit?" 

"No, it's just the stress, you know, and maybe, yeah, maybe partially it's him. Since the day he's started living with me..." 

"He lives with you?" Israel cried, "Fer, it's a bad idea." 

"I can't let him go and live in some horrible place or on the streets. I feel better knowing that he's safe." 

"It doesn't look like you feel better." 

"It's just..." Fernando sighed. He knew Israel didn't approve of his relationship with Sergio and he still couldn't forget that he hadn't told him the truth about Sergio, but he just couldn't keep it to himself anymore. "It's just that it's so difficult. He's so difficult. I don't know how to talk to him, how to approach him. One wrong move and he explodes. Sometimes he makes me so mad, I want to punch him or to kick him out." 

"So why don't you do it? Kick him out, I mean." 

Fernando glared at him. "Are you kidding me? You want me to kick him out to the streets? I don't know how to keep him with me, every word I say can make him snap and disappear for days, and you tell me to kick him out?" 

"Doesn't he have a job?" 

"He does, but it doesn't pay well, you know better than I do how they pay omegas. Besides, it's not the point. I just-I don't want him to be away, that's all. I won't forgive myself if something happens to him." 

"Fer, he's an adult. You aren't his alpha. You're not responsible for him." 

"But I am in a way. Isra, have you ever heard of omega centers?" 

Israel's gaze darkened. "Yes, I have." 

"Sergio's been in one of those places, Isra, and he's suffered so much. He's been through hell and I wasn't there for him." 

"It wasn't your fault, Fernando." 

"I know, but I still feel so guilty. I can't help it. If you knew what they're doing to omegas in those centers..." 

"I've heard some stories," Israel said gloomily, "Those places should be made illegal." 

"Sure they should. And I'll do everything I can to make it happen." 

Israel narrowed his eyes. "Fernando, just don't tell me that the thing you are doing out of work concerns the centers." 

Fernando looked away. "Isra, someone has to do something." 

"Why does that someone have to be you?" Israel cried, "For God's sake, Fernando, do you even think what you're doing? Do your bosses know about this?" 

"No." 

"Will they approve of it when they find out?" 

"I don't think so." 

"Do you think what you're doing is reasonable?" 

"No, it's not." 

"But you're still willing to do it." 

"Yes." 

Israel sighed and got up, taking out the teapot. "I hope Sergio appreciates it," he muttered. 

Fernando snorted. "He doesn't even want to hear about it," he said, "Gets mad every time I just hint at it." 

Israel just shook his head and went on preparing coffee without talking. Fernando didn't talk either, almost regretting that he'd opened up to his brother. 

"Fer," Israel said, putting a cup of coffee in front of him, "Just be honest. What do you want to achieve with this? What do you want from him? What do you want to do with all this?" 

Fernando fell back into the armchair. "I want... I don't know how to explain it, Isra, but sometimes when he's normal, when he talks to me and laughs and tells me something, it's like-like he hasn't even been gone, you know? Sometimes he smiles to me and I think I can live with this. I think that I'd give anything to keep that smile on his face, to see it every day when I wake up and when I go to sleep. But what almost always follows is just another argument. He says hurtful things, sometimes I say them too, he leaves and doesn't come back for a few days, but when he does, sometimes even drunk, I always forgive him, I always take him back. I just can't say no to him, I really can't. It's pathetic, I know, but I can't help it." 

"Sounds like I need to have a word or two with your Sergio," Israel said in a strained voice. 

"No, you won't, Israel," Fernando said, "Mind your business." 

"Do you want me just to sit and watch how some asshole makes my brother suffer?" 

"I'll sort it out," Fernando said, "It's not your problem." 

"No, Fer... 

"No, Isra! You won't talk to him. Is it clear?" 

"Fine," Israel snapped, "It's clear." He put his cup in the sink with a loud clank. "I hope he at least lets you fuck him for that," he muttered under his breath. 

Fernando clenched his fists. "You really shouldn't have said that, Israel," he hissed. 

"So he doesn't." 

"I don't even know why I decided to talk to you," Fernando said angrily, "I'm leaving, say hello to Sara and the kids from me." 

"Fer, wait, I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have said that." 

"I'm really in a hurry, Isra." 

"Wait, we have to talk about your birthday party." 

"What party?" 

"Your birthday is in two weeks, remember? And because you sure as hell weren't going to celebrate, we're having a party. Don't worry, just the family and a few friends are invited." 

"Yeah, okay, thanks." 

"Don't forget to show up or you'll upset mum." 

"I won't, I have to go, Isra. See you at the party or I don't know. Bye." 

"Please take care of yourself," Israel cried after him. 

Fernando just waved his hand dismissively. He had other things to take care of.

~~~

Sergio was smoking in the balcony when Fernando came home. The beta had tried to ask him once if he wasn't thinking about quitting smoking, but Sergio had overreacted as usual and it had blown into a fight. Well, into an one-sided fight like the majority of their arguments, because Fernando usually tried to keep calm and to placate Sergio, but almost never succeeded. Living with Sergio was like trying to sail without weather forecast. You could never know where it would be sunny and when a thunderstorm would crash everything on its way.

Fernando fell down on the couch and closed his eyes. He was spent. The workday and the conversation with Israel had drained him. His mind was reeling with Israel's words, making his head hurt. His brother had always been some kind of an idol for him, especially in childhood, and he had followed him blindly in everything. Growing up he'd found out that they points of view sometimes differed, but subconsciously Israel's opinion had always mattered the most to him. But Sergio had always mattered to him too... 

He shook his head. His headache was getting stronger. The sound of the balcony door opening made him wince in pain, but he opened his eyes, hearing Sergio's footsteps. 

"Hi," he smiled. 

"Hi," Sergio said, "You're late today." 

"Yeah, had a lot of work to do, then went to visit my brother." 

"Oh." Sergio's face immediately darkened, though he desperately tried to keep his expression neutral. "Does he know about me?" 

"Yeah," Fernando said. 

"I bet he told you to kick me out." 

"No," Fernando lied, "We didn't talk about you. We talked about... my birthday party." 

"Your birthday party?" 

"Yeah, it's my birthday in two weeks, remember?" he said. "Just ten days before yours," he added quietly when Sergio shook his head. 

"So you're having a party?" 

"Yeah, at my parents' house. They organized it, there won't be many people, just my family and a few friends." He looked at Sergio and after some hesitation added, "Would you like to come with me?" 

He regretted his words as soon as he pronounced them. Sergio's eyes narrowed and his posture changed to defensive and Fernando instantly knew that there was going to be a storm. 

"Are you fucking serious?" Sergio said loudly, "You think I'd want to come with you to your parents' place? You think I'd want to see the people who supported my parents' decision to send me to that hell?" 

"Leave my parents out of it," Fernando said, feeling his headache multiply, "They're not to blame." 

"Oh, then maybe your brother isn't to blame either?" Sergio cried, "You think I will go and smile to him after what he did to me? He destroyed me, he destroyed my will to live. I was even thinking... I was-I was scared of my own thoughts, I didn't want to live. Do you even know... Why am I telling you this? You don't understand! You can't understand!" 

The meaning of his words didn't reach Fernando through the haze of pain. 

"Please, don't shout, please," he whispered, rubbing his aching temples. 

Sergio apparently wasn't even listening to him. "Maybe you should also invite my family?" he said in a high-pitched voice, "And have a nice little reunion. You'll have some things to talk about, like how you destroyed my life!" 

Fernando's looked up, almost blinded by pain. 

"I'm sorry I invited you," he said weakly, "It was a mistake. But, please, can we not fight? Just this once. Please, Sergio, I have a horrible headache and don't have the strength to argue. Can we leave it for another day? I-I really can't, Sergio." 

Sergio inhaled sharply, as though he was going to continue shouting, but stopped before starting. Fernando could see how he fought with himself for a few moments as he made a visible effort to calm down. He pressed his lips together, closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. 

"Okay," he said finally. 

"Thank you," Fernando said, closing his eyes and sliding down to lie on the couch. 

"You should take some painkillers, I don't know what you have here..." Sergio said awkwardly. 

"Yeah, I will," Fernando forced out. 

Every word required enormous effort to be spoken and every sound felt like it was hammered into his brain. 

"Want me to bring some?" Sergio talked again. 

"No, thanks," Fernando murmured. 

He just wanted to be left alone, but a few minutes later he felt Sergio shaking his shoulder gently. 

"Here, take this," he said. 

Fernando forced his eyes open and saw Sergio standing in front of him with a pill in one hand and a glass of water in the other one. Fernando swallowed the pill with the water and lay back again. 

He opened his eyes a few hours later. His temples were still throbbing, but the pain didn't make him want to scratch the walls anymore. Sergio was sitting on the armchair next to him, staring ahead with glassy eyes. 

Fernando shuffled and Sergio's gaze quickly turned to the left. 

"Are you okay now?" he asked. 

"Yeah," Fernando said. 

"Good. I'm going to sleep then," Sergio said, jumped up to his feet and went to his room without another word. 

"Night," Fernando whispered belatedly after him and closed his eyes again.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, I'm so, so sorry for being absent for a month. I've had limited access to my PC and it's really difficult to post chapters from my phone. I hope there are still some people left who're reading this story. If so, thank you for your patience and please forgive me for being inconsistent.

Sergio didn't mention Fernando's birthday party or his brother or anything that happened that day again and Fernando knew better than to bring it up. He couldn't even if he tried, because Sergio was back to barely talking to him. Israel called him every other day and every time he asked about Sergio's behavior and every time Fernando evaded the subject, his brother's voice grew more and more disapproving. 

His cases, both the official and the unofficial ones, weren't going great either. Roca had offered to share the task of convincing the other victims of _Green Haven_ to talk, but she's had no success so far. As for the murder case, though he felt guilty for ignoring it, he barely found time for it through all the running he did to find witnesses and evidence against omega centers. The first two hearings ended with what he resolutely refused to call a defeat and his client was getting restless, often wondering what he was paying that much money for. So Fernando wasn't really surprised when one morning almost as soon as he entered his office, he was called by his bosses. 

He tried to stay calm, but it was difficult when all the partners were gathered in the conference hall and were looking at him attentively. He knew for sure that Sanchez and Duarte were just waiting for a chance to rip him apart, though he hoped for the support of Fuentes and Morales who had always liked him. The others would stand behind the party who had more chances to win. 

"So, Fernando," Fuentes started, "How is your murder case going?" 

"Pretty good, ma'am," Fernando lied cheerfully. 

"I wouldn't say so, judging by the first hearings of the case," Duarte noted lazily, looking at Fernando with disdain. 

"There are going to be other hearings," Fernando said. 

"This is a very important case for the company, Mr. Torres," Sanchez said silkily, "And it was trusted to you. I hope you won't disappoint us." 

"I'll do my best," Fernando said. 

"Be so kind," Sanchez hissed. 

"Enough, ladies and gentlemen," Fuentes said, "Fernando, we haven't called you to talk about your case." 

"No?" Fernando said, un unpleasant feeling forming in the pit of his stomach. 

"No," Fuentes answered, "Fernando, there are some rumors, very worrisome rumors. I'll ask it straight away. What business do you have with the omega center _Green Haven_?" 

Fernando had to gather all his willpower to keep calm, though he was sure he had paled visibly. Still, as he knew for certain he couldn't lie his way out of this, he opted for the truth. 

"I want to close it down," he said, "I want to close all of those centers down." 

Silence followed his words. Even old Morales who always seemed half-asleep, jerked up and stared at Fernando through his glasses. 

"This is just not done, dear boy, just not done," he murmured. 

"Do you know what they're doing to omegas there?" Fernando asked, trying, but failing to control his voice, "They're experimenting on them, torturing them. Someone has to stop them." 

Duarte laughed and some of the partners echoed him. 

"I can't believe you've won so many cases with that attitude," he said. 

"Fernando," Fuentes said, passing a hand through her hair, "What is happening to omegas is very sad, but it shouldn't concern you. We don't want our company's name to be associated with it." 

"What about justice?" Fernando said fervently, forgetting who he was talking to. 

"Torres, do you know what kind of people stand behind them?" Sanchez said, "You don't want to mess with them. You'll never beat them." 

"I can at least try," Fernando said. 

"One of our best lawyers doesn't know how law works," Duerte smirked, "How low this company has fallen!" 

"Fernando," Fuentes said, "How long have you been an associate?" 

"Four years, ma'am." 

"We are going to offer you to become a partner next year," Fuentes continued, "Do you know how long people wait to get this offer? Mingo waited for nine years, Duerte waited for eleven. You can get your offer only after five years with us." 

"Oh, I... Thank you," Fernando said, "It's an honor." 

"You deserve it, dear boy, you deserve it," Morales said with a smile, closing his eyes again. 

"But you can't let anything stand in your way," Fuentes continued, "You have to leave _Green Haven_ alone. We don't want to have anything to do with that case." 

"I..."Fernando gulped, "I don't think I..." 

"Wait, Fernando, don't answer now," Fuentes said, "Think about it. You have a very bright future ahead and it would be a pity if your career went down the drain because of something stupid." 

Fuentes had a smile on her face, but Fernando knew that it was a threat. Drop the case or lose your job. 

"Is it clear?" Fuentes asked, smiling wider. 

"Yes," Fernando answered quietly. 

"Very good. Ladies and gentlemen, I think we all may get back to work." 

She went out, sending Fernando a meaningful look. Old Morales patted him on the back, while Duerte and Sanchez openly glared at him. Fernando stayed there, staring at the wall and trying to understand if the threat was real or it was just a way to stop him from going against omega centers.

~~~

Whatever he did, Fernando wasn't able to get the morning meeting out of his head. He had known his bosses wouldn't approve of his meddling in something like omega centers, but he hadn't thought that they would actually threaten to fire him. He was so distracted that even Sergio broke his vow of silence and asked him what was wrong. Fernando decided to answer, even though he knew it could potentially cause another fight.

"My bosses put me in front of a choice," he said, "Either I drop the case of _Green Haven_ and get a promotion, or I keep pursuing it and lose my job." 

Sergio stared at him. "Well then fucking drop it," he said. 

"I can't," Fernando sighed. 

"Why the fuck you can't, you idiot?" Sergio hissed. 

"Because it would be a betrayal," Fernando said. 

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sergio sneered, "Who would you betray if you dropped that useless case?" 

"Myself," Fernando answered, "You. Roca. All the other omegas that have been or still are in those centers." 

Sergio banged his fist on the table, startling him. "I hate that you're this way," he shouted, "I hate it, hate it, hate it." 

Fernando opened his mouth, staring at him in shock. He'd expected rude replies, but not this violent outburst. 

"What do you hate?" he whispered, barely controlling his voice. 

"This-this your..." Sergio was shaking. "Fuck, why couldn't you be... Why are you... I hate it!" 

He stormed off to his room, slamming the door with all his might. 

"What have I ever done to you?" Fernando shouted after him, "Why do you hate me?" He kicked the coffee table in rage. "Why?" 

Sergio gave no answer and Fernando's anger suddenly disappeared, leaving him feeling weak and defeated. He slid down on a chair and took his face in his hands. 

"What do I do?" he whispered, "I don't know, I don't know. I'm so tired." 

There was no one to help him, to tell him what to do, how to stop Sergio from hurting him, how to stop himself from getting hurt. He was on his own. 

Somehow finding the strength to get up, Fernando pushed the chair away and dragged his feet to his bedroom. The pasta Sergio had made was left untouched on the table.

~~~

Fernando started the morning with a raging headache. He swallowed a pill with his breakfast and was pouring himself some coffee when his phone started ringing. Wincing from the shrill sound, Fernando quickly picked it up.

"Hello?" 

"Mr. Torres?" 

"Yes." 

"It's Alfredo Prieto. You remember me?" 

"Yes, yes, of course," Fernando said, his heart starting to beat quickly with excitement, "How can I help you, Mr. Prieto?" 

"I-I called to... I talked with..." Prieto took a deep breath. "A few days ago I talked with that woman, Roca. She was trying to convince me, you know, to testify against-against..." 

He tracked off and Fernando could hear only his harsh breathing. 

"Mr. Prieto?" he asked. 

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I just thought my husband was back." 

"Do you want me to call you later?" Fernando asked. 

"No, no, he's not back yet," Prieto said relieved. 

"Then will you please..." Fernando started, but bit his tongue at the sight of Sergio entering the kitchen. 

"So I talked to Roca," Prieto went on without noticing anything, "And I've been thinking a lot about it, you know, ever since you visited us. I thought you were right, you and Roca, and I was a coward, because I didn't want to..." 

Prieto started explaining how exactly Fernando and Roca were right and just how much of a coward he was, and Fernando was listening to him, while also watching Sergio. The omega made himself a sandwich and coffee, then sat with his back to Fernando and took a sip from his cup. 

"...and that's why, Mr. Torres, I decided that I want to help you. I will testify against _Green Haven_ ," Prieto finished. 

Fernando had been hoping that this was the purpose of his call, but it still made him choke on surprise. 

"You will? You will testify?" he repeated. 

From the corner of an eye he saw Sergio turn back to him. 

"Yes, I will. I won't leave you and Roca alone." 

"Thank you so much, Mr. Prieto," Fernando said breathlessly, "You're not a coward, you're a very brave man. I'll call you later to discuss this in details and to arrange a meeting. Thanks again." 

"You're welcome," Prieto said, "Talk to you later." 

Fernando put the phone away and stared ahead for a minute, then started laughing happily. His headache was gone and his mood was considerably higher. He looked at Sergio with a grin, ready to forgive him for his outburst the day before, but the omega quickly looked away, gupled down his coffee, took his jacket and left without a word. 

Fernando's grin faltered, but he decided that he wasn't going to let Sergio ruin his mood this time. He finished his coffee, went to work, met Prieto, recorded his testimony and got him to promise to find a document proving his stay in _Green Haven_. 

He came back home late in the evening. Sergio wasn't back yet and there was nothing to eat, so Fernando ordered food from the nearest Thai place both for himself and Sergio, hoping that when the omega returned, they would talk and make up. He had dinner, worked a little bit, watched some TV, tried not to think about the potential end of his career and constantly checked the time, his heart getting heavier with every passing minute. Near midnight, tired of waiting, he went to sleep. 

Sergio didn't come home that night.

~~~

Fernando had no desire to attend his birthday party. He hadn't seen Sergio for almost a week, he was working overtime every day, he kept worrying about his career and he didn't want to meet his brother and get lectured on how to live his life again. But his mother had sounded so excited when she'd called to congratulate him that he couldn't bring himself to upset her.

The party was a quiet affair for which Fernando was thankful. He accepted congratulations, talked with his friends and family, laughed at the right places, made jokes, blew the candles and tasted the cake. But he did it all mechanically, his head wasn't in it, his mind was wandering in other places. He had put aside his pride and tried to call Sergio on the number he was using for work, but of course the omega hadn't bothered to answer. What was the point of getting a fucking phone if he never answered it? 

To the last minute Fernando had hoped that Sergio would show up at least on his birthday. He knew it was stupid, but he still hadn't been able to kill that tiny hope. Just a call, just a simple text, saying happy birthday… Nothing, there had been nothing. It hurt, as much as Fernando tried to convince himself that he didn't care, as much as he tried to engage himself in a conversation with his friends and family to forget about Sergio. 

He felt relieved when the guests finally left and was getting ready to leave too, but Israel was having none of it, and insisted that he wanted to have a beer with his brother. Fernando suddenly realized that he didn't want to return to his empty apartment, and though he knew that Israel wanted to talk to him about Sergio, he didn't decline his offer. 

"So how did you like the party?" Israel asked, taking a sip from his beer. 

"It was nice," Fernando mumbled. 

"I thought you'd surprise us all and come with Sergio," Israel said with a smile. 

"I don't know where he is," Fernando said, spinning the still closed bottle on the table, "He disappeared a week ago." 

"Where did he go?" 

"I don't know," Fernando said through gritted teeth, "He's got a habit of disappearing and reappearing randomly." 

Israel sighed and put down his bottle. 

"Fer," he started, "I know you don't want to talk about this, but as your brother I just can't keep silent any longer." He leaned forward to look into Fernando's eyes. "Fer, he's poison. He's poisoning your life..." 

"Isra, please..." 

"No, Fer, please. Look at you, you aren't having fun even at your birthday party. All you can think about is him! You're doing everything for him. You're ignoring everyone for him. You're even neglecting your job to work on his case. You've even lost weight! And how does he repay you? He disappears on you on your birthday, he comes and goes whenever he wants, not caring how you feel about it. He doesn't even care about bringing to justice the people who wronged him, while you're working your ass off for him. He's ungrateful, Fer, he just uses you. Don't you see how he..." 

"Stop it, Isra!" Fernando cried, "You don't know him. He isn't using me, I'm doing everything on my own free will. He's been through things that would make you cry in horror, I can't blame him for being this way." 

"Fer, he's destroying you," Israel said sadly, "He doesn't care about you." 

"I don't want to talk about it anymore," Fernando said. 

"I'm sorry if I said anything wrong, Fer," Israel said softly, "I just don't want you to suffer again because of him." 

Fernando nodded. They drank in silence for a while, then Fernando got up, thanked his family and went out. He decided to walk a little to clear his head, but Israel's words kept ringing in his ears. _He doesn't care about you._ Was it true? Did Sergio care? If he did, where was he? And if he didn't, what should Fernando do? Kick him out? Stop investigating the centers? 

He didn't know. He didn't want to know, didn't want to believe that Israel was right. His head and legs were hurting from thinking and walking. He caught a cab, told the driver his address and closed his eyes, bitter thoughts taking over again. 

He was so tired that he barely managed to open the door, but when he did, the tiredness was almost entirely gone, replaced by surprise. The living room light was on, though he distinctly remembered that he'd checked it before leaving. 

Leaving his jacket in the hall, he tiptoed to the living room and stopped in his tracks when he saw Sergio sleeping on the couch. There was a small cake on the table with a candle stuck in the middle. A black box was lying beside. Fernando suddenly felt like he couldn't breathe. He cleared his clogged up throat and Sergio stirred, heaving a sigh. He sat up, rubbed his eyes and looked around, then a smile slowly spread on his face when he saw Fernando. 

"Hey," he said, his voice hoarse from sleep, "Happy birthday." 

Fernando opened his mouth to answer, but Sergio raised his hand to stop him. "No, no, wait." 

He rummaged in his pockets, taking out a lighter, and lit the candle, then took the cake and approached Fernando. 

"Happy birthday," he smiled, "Make a wish and blow the candle." 

_I wish you'd never leave me again,_ Fernando thought. 

"Great," Sergio said, putting the cake back on the table and taking the box. "This is for you." 

Fernando didn't take the box, he pulled Sergio into a tight hug instead, drawing a surprised gasp from the other man. 

"Thank you," he whispered. 

"It's nothing," Sergio said embarrassed and slipped out of Fernando's embrace. 

Fernando took the box and opened it. It was a watch, nothing too fancy, but nice and pretty expensive for someone with Sergio's level of income. 

"Do you like it?" the omega asked anxiously. 

"Yeah, a lot," Fernando said quietly, "It's very beautiful." 

Sergio smiled and slumped down on the couch, throwing his head back with a sigh. 

"Thought it was your style and since you'd lost your watch..." 

The remaining of the phrase was murmured so low that it was impossible to hear. Fernando sat next to Sergio to listen to his words and only then noticed how tired he looked, saw the bags under his eyes and the paleness of his face. 

"Where did you disappear?" he asked cautiously. 

Sergio yawned. "Found a temporary night job." 

"Why?" Fernando asked and then it clicked, "For-for my present? Sergio, you didn't have to." 

"I'd saved up some money, but there was still some missing, so..." 

Fernando hugged him with one arm and pulled him close. 

"Thank you," he whispered, kissing his temple. 

Sergio shifted in his arms, making himself more comfortable. Fernando warily started stroking his hair. 

"I'm just letting you do this, 'cause I'm tired and it's your birthday," Sergio murmured. 

"I know," Fernando answered softly, continuing to caress him. 

Sergio closed his eyes again and Fernando gently shook him awake, as much as he didn't want to. 

"Hey, Sese, time to sleep," he said, "Go to bed." 

"Mmm," Sergio said. 

Fernando smiled and got up, dragging Sergio to the guest room and pushing him inside carefully. 

"Good night," he whispered from the threshold. 

Sergio looked at him in a weird way and suddenly pressed his lips to Fernando's. It lasted mere seconds, Sergio pulled back swiftly and smiled. 

"Night," he said. 

Fernando remained standing in shock for a minute, then slowly walked to his bedroom. Israel's words weren't disturbing him anymore. His brother didn't know Sergio, hadn't seen the anxious look in his eyes when he'd given him the present or the smile on his face when he'd kissed him. 

He laughed at himself for behaving like a lovesick teenager and fell asleep with the feel of Sergio's lips over his.


	12. Chapter 12

When Fernando got home next evening Sergio had just woken up. The beta had been looking forward to seeing him the whole day. After Sergio's present and their little kiss he had initiated Fernando had been hoping that their relationship would change for the better, though knowing Sergio, he didn't want to get his hopes up. Still he went home, expecting a nice and fun evening, greeted Sergio happily, trying not to get disheartened after his gloomy reply, and ordered Sergio's favorite pizza. The other man didn't seem particularly excited about it, he had just two slices of pizza and retreated to his room. 

Fernando sighed. He knew he should have been used to Sergio's mood swings, but it still upset him. He had yet to find the way to get in his good graces whenever he was sulking. Sometimes he left him alone, other times he tried to talk to him with differing results. This time he decided to try his luck and went to Sergio's room, knocking lightly at the door. Sergio didn't answer. 

"Can I come in?" Fernando called. 

"As though you won't if I say no," he heard Sergio's voice. 

Fernando blinked. "Sure I won't." 

He waited for a few seconds more and Sergio opened the door and motioned him to come inside. 

"What is it?" he said, sitting down on the bed. 

"I just wanted to know what's wrong," Fernando said. 

"Nothing. I'm fine." 

"You seem a little off," Fernando insisted, "Did I do anything wrong?" 

Sergio rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you decided it would be a good idea to pester me with stupid questions," he said. 

"I just thought that after yesterday things between us might have changed." 

"Nothing happened yesterday," Sergio said briskly. 

"You gave me a present..." 

"It was your birthday." 

"And you kissed me." 

"It didn't mean anything." 

"Of course," Fernando said under his breath with a bitter smirk, "Then why did you do it? Why did you kiss me yesterday and that day when you got the job?" 

"What is it that you want, Fernando?" Sergio said wearily, "You want the continuation of the kiss? Just wait until I go in heat, you'll get what you want." 

Fernando took a deep breath in an attempt to stay calm. "You don't actually think that about me, do you?" he said, "Why do you say things like that? Why do you keep... confusing me? I want to understand you, Sergio, I really try, but sometimes I feel like you're getting farther and farther away from me." 

Sergio just kept staring at him impassively. "What do you want me to do?" he asked. 

"I want you to explain, I want you to talk to me, to tell me what's wrong and what's right. You used to talk to me, used to tell me what you think and what you feel." 

"That'd been before I was forced to repeat daily that my feelings are wrong and I should be ashamed of them," Sergio said, staring at the wall. 

Fernando barely stopped himself from reaching out and touching him. "But you know it's not true, don't you?" he asked. 

Sergio shrugged. "Maybe it's true. Look at all the good feelings did to me. To us." 

"Sese, you can't actually believe that," Fernando said, "They removed your tattoo and you got new ones to prove that they were wrong. Doesn't it mean that you should do the opposite of what they told you to do?" 

"They removed the tattoo forcibly," Sergio said, "While those words I pronounced myself. I could have fought against it, could have resisted more, but I didn't. I didn't want to be punished again. So I apologized for my feelings, renounced them and repeated over and over again how wrong they were. I chose the relative comfort of not being tied up and in heat for two weeks straight." Sergio squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them and looked at Fernando. "You don't want to betray yourself and me even at the cost of your career and your comfortable life, while I betrayed you and betrayed myself." 

"Sergio," Fernando said hoarsely, "Are you really comparing the harmless words of a physically and emotionally abused teen to the inaction of an adult man who knows that the lives of many people can depend from his decision? You didn't have a choice, Sergio, you did what you could to survive." 

Sergio closed his eyes again and just shook his head, his expression so hopeless that Fernando wanted to wipe it off his face immediately. 

"Can I touch you?" he whispered, his hand hovering over Sergio's. 

Sergio's fingers twitched and he bailed his hands into shaking fists. "No," he forced out. 

"Okay," Fernando said, drawing back his hand, "Sergio, just so you know, I don't blame you for what you did. Not a bit." 

"I wish you would," Sergio whispered, as though talking to himself, "I wish you wouldn't be so... It'd be much easier then." 

"What would be easier?" Fernando asked. 

Sergio shook his head and looked into Fernando's eyes. "I'm thinking about moving out," he said quietly. 

Fernando's heart skipped a bit. "What?" he croaked. 

"I've already stayed much longer than I intended to. I'm just waiting to get a raise, I don't know when that'll happen, but when it does, hopefully I'll be able to afford renting my own place and will move out. Then you can go back to your normal life." 

"But I don't want to," Fernando said. 

Sergio shifted uncomfortably. "I'm really tired," he said, "I want to sleep." 

"You just woke up!" 

"I'm still tired," Sergio said stubbornly. 

"Fine," Fernando said, standing up, "Get some rest. And Sergio," he added when he was at the door, "You don't have to move out, you know? I'd be happy if you stayed here, though you probably don't care about that, but I just wanted you to know." 

"Night, Fernando," Sergio only said. 

"Night," Fernando answered and closed the door quietly.

~~~

The thought of Sergio moving out didn't leave Fernando alone. He knew if he tried to convince Sergio to stay, he'd just get mad and probably try to leave right away. Sometimes he couldn't help but hope Sergio wouldn't get a raise and he felt horrible every time he thought about it. The only thing left to do was to enjoy the remaining time with Sergio and that wasn't an easy task. It didn't mean though that Fernando wouldn't keep trying. He had already bought Sergio's present (a pair of Nike boots of the last generation Sergio once had mentioned he'd like to have) and he couldn't wait when he would finally give it to Sergio. But it wasn't the only thing he wanted to do.

The day before Sergio's birthday Fernando gathered his courage and over the dinner casually asked, "So what plans do you have for tomorrow?" 

Sergio shrugged. "I'm working." 

"Yeah, I know, I mean after work," Fernando said, "It's your birthday. What do you want to do?" 

"Nothing," Sergio said, "I haven't celebrated my birthday for years." 

"What would you say if we..." Fernando swallowed, "If we went out somewhere? Just the two of us?" 

Sergio looked at him amused. "Really, Fernando? Did you even think before asking me that question? What did you assume I would do? Throw myself at you and thank you from the bottom of my heart for being such a gentleman and offering to take me to some fancy place, so the poor little omega can celebrate his birthday for the first time in years?" 

"Okay, If you don't want to go out, fine, tell me what you want to do," Fernando said, his cheeks burning red, "I just wanted to do something that'd make you happy." 

Sergio's eyes blazed. "I'm fucking tired of your heroic attitude," he cried, "Quit it, I told you that first day, save it for someone else. I don't need it! I don't want it!" 

"When do you want then?" Fernando shouted, losing his patience, "You want me to treat you like shit, so you could feel better that you treat me the same way? You want me to treat you the way your parents treated you, your siblings treated you, your lovers treated you, the guys at the school treated you, those people at the center treated you? You want me to treat you like shit like you're used to being treated?" 

For a few seconds the silence was so overwhelming, that Fernando could hear the beating of his own heart. 

"Fuck you," Sergio said then in a trembling voice. 

He pushed his half-eaten plate away and went to his room without another word. Fernando's first instinct was to go after him, but he knew he couldn't face Sergio right now. His hands shaking, he took the plates and washed them, waited for some time, hoping Sergio would come out himself, but realizing that he wouldn't, took a deep breath and went the guest room. 

"Sergio," he said, knocking at the door. 

"Fuck off," Sergio cried. 

"Sergio, I'm so sorry. I was just-I just got mad, I shouldn't have. I'm so sorry." 

There was no answer from the room. Fernando waited in front of the door for half an hour, but he heard nothing. Whispering one last apology, he went to the bedroom and spent a sleepless night, choking from guilt.

~~~

Fernando didn't have the opportunity to talk to Sergio in the morning. The other man had left for work even before Fernando would get up. The beta was getting mad with worry, cursing himself for fucking up just before Sergio's birthday. However, he was determined on making it right. He came back home a couple of hours sooner than usual that day, having bought everything necessary to make Sergio's favorite dishes for dinner, and prayed to all the culinary gods to help him. The gods had heard him, he realized soon, inhaling the wonderful lasagna scent. Whistling happily, he set the table for two, sat down and waited.

Four hours later when he was drinking the last glass of wine alone, he thought that he should have known. Should have known Sergio wouldn't come home that day, not after what Fernando had told him and not after he'd said that he didn't want to celebrate his birthday. 

"I just wanted..." Fernando mumbled, but didn't say what he'd wanted, instead gulping down the rest of the wine. 

But he'd wanted many things. He'd wanted to make Sergio happy without making him feel insulted, he'd wanted to be able to talk to him calmly, he'd wanted his friend and his lover back. Now he didn't want anything. He didn't even feel angry or worried anymore, not even disappointed. He just felt empty, as though nothing in the world mattered to him. Or maybe it was the alcohol talking. Wine always made him melancholic. 

Swaying on his feet, Fernando somehow made himself reach his bedroom, but he didn't have the will, nor the strength to take off his clothes, he just fell on the bed face down and was asleep within minutes.

~~~

The days of Sergio's absence as always passed in a detached haze for Fernando. He was on autopilot, doing what he usually does, but in the back of his mind the thoughts of Sergio always lingered. The fact that the omega had left his key at home scared him so much that he couldn't even bring himself to think about the implications. The only thing that sobered him up for a while was the illness of his nephew, Israel's son. Fernando spent a night at the hospital with his sister-in-law, replacing Israel who'd gone home to catch a few hours of sleep. But when the doctors said that Hugo was doing good and would make a full recovery, he was back to ground zero.

Israel, who had barely talked to Fernando or to anyone while his son's condition wasn't stable, called him one evening, saying that he'd like to visit him. Fernando agreed, happy that he could take his mind off his disturbing thoughts for a while, but his happiness was short-lived, because turned out that Israel had every intention to return to his favorite topic. 

"So he's gone again," he said, when Fernando just shrugged in response to his inquiries on Sergio's whereabouts. 

"It's been five days," Fernando said, staring at the wall. "I prepared birthday dinner for him," he added for some reason. 

Israel got up and sat next to his brother, hugging the younger man with one arm. "It'll be okay, Fer," he said. 

"I just don't understand," Fernando rambled on to his own surprise, "One day he's smiling, joking and kissing me, the next day he's all moody and silent and then he disappears. He's even left his key. I don't know what to do with him." 

Israel sighed. "I don't know what to say, Fer," he said, "You obviously care about him too much to just give up on him, but he's hurting you and I don't know how to help you." 

"Don't worry about me," Fernando said, "I'll survive. Better tell me about Hugo. Does he really feel better now?" 

"Yeah, thank God," Israel said, "Gave us all a good scare, but it's nothing serious." 

"I was always getting sick at his age, remember?" Fernando asked. 

He didn't get to know if Israel remembered it or not, because the intercom beeped at that moment. 

"Expecting someone?" Israel asked. 

Fernando shrugged. He was always expecting someone. 

"Sergio?" he asked hopefully, pressing the button. 

"Yes," came the omega's tired voice. 

Fernando immediately opened the door, feeling Israel's disapproving look on his back. Sergio appeared on the doorstep in a minute. 

"Hey," he said nonchalantly, as if he hadn't been absent for five days. 

"Hey," Fernando answered weakly and then, unable to stop himself, added, "You know, you could have at least called." 

"Why would I?" Sergio said dismissively, "The whole point is being away from you. And why the hell do I have to report to you what I do and where I go?" 

"Because I worry for you," Fernando said through gritted teeth. 

"Why? Because I'm an omega and can get in trouble?" Sergio mocked. 

"Because you're my friend." 

Sergio rolled his eyes. "I'm not your friend. I'm not your anything. Stop trying to control my life." 

"Fine," Fernando said. He already regretted to have started this conversation while his brother was there. 

"Good," Sergio said and went to the living room, but stopped in his tracks when he saw Israel. His eyes widened and a smirk slowly spread across his face. 

"I see you have guests," he said, his voice shaking slightly, "Maybe I should leave?" 

"No," Fernando cried, then blushed at his outburst, "I-I mean you must be tired. Where have you been? You left your key..." 

"I was in heat and found an alpha," Sergio said, sprawling on the couch, "The key I just forgot. Other questions?" 

Fernando shook his head, not sure that he'd be able to put the pain he felt into words. 

"Then quit with the kicked puppy look," Sergio said dismissively. 

"Listen, you..." Israel growled. 

"Oh, Israel, you're here too," Sergio leered. 

"Yeah, I'm visiting my brother. I wonder what _you_ are doing here." 

"Are you mad that Fernando and me are together even after your lies?" Sergio grinned derisively. 

_Together?_ Fernando's heart gave a loud thud. What was Sergio talking about? 

"Together?" Israel cried, jumping up, "You're just using him. You disappear on him and fuck other men. Is that what you call together?" 

"Well not _together_ together, but we're living in the same house, fucking sometimes..." 

He was interrupted when Israel jumped on him, snarling, and grabbed his collar, lifting him up. 

"Stop torturing my little brother," he warned, "Or I will hurt you." 

"Isra, let him go," Fernando asked, pulling the older man back. 

"Fer, kick him out," Israel said, pushing Sergio back on the couch, "He's fucked up and he's going to fuck you up too." 

Fernando cringed, expecting an equally angry response from the other side, but Sergio's face suddenly crumpled. 

"You are one of the reasons I'm fucked up," he cried, "If you hadn't made me think that Fernando had forgotten me, I-I would've... I wouldn't have..." 

His voice broke and he turned his head away. Fernando and Israel stared in shock at his shaking shoulders for a second, then Israel fidgeted in his place, drawing his brother's attention to him. 

"Isra, you'd better leave," Fernando whispered, "We'll talk later." 

Israel nodded and left after giving a quick hug to his brother. Fernando immediately crouched in front of Sergio. 

"I'm fine," the omega croaked. He wiped his eyes furiously. "If you want me to leave, I will," he said in an almost steady voice. 

"I don't," Fernando said, "I don't want you to leave. Please stay." 

"Okay," Sergio nodded. 

He reached a trembling hand to Fernando, but quickly pulled it back, barely touching his hair. His eyes were still wet and sad. 

"Oh, wait," Fernando said, "I got you a present for your birthday. I prepared dinner for you too, but..." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter, I'll show you your present." 

He ran to his room and took the box with Nike boots, hoping it would improve Sergio's mood. 

"Here," he said, giving the box to the omega, "Happy birthday." 

Sergio opened the box reluctantly and his jaw fell when he saw the boots. 

"Why did you do this?" he whispered. 

"Well, it was your birthday and-and you once said you wanted these boots, remember?" 

"I can't accept this." 

"Why?" Fernando asked hollowly, sensing that the momentary peace between them had come to an end. 

"They are... This is... I-I don't want it. I don't like it." 

"Sergio, please take it." 

"Are you stupid? Did you even hear me?" Sergio shouted, "Keep your stupid boots to yourself! I don't like them!" 

Fernando flushed. "So what do you like?" he hissed, anger and embarrassment coupled with the stress of the last days making him forget that he'd decided to be patient with Sergio. "What is it you like? Getting fucked by alphas?" 

A part of him knew that he shouldn't have said that, but he was too mad to care. He just couldn't deal anymore with Sergio's unpredictable mood swings and insults. 

Sergio smirked. "That's what you're so worked up about?" he said, "What did you want me to do? I was in a bar, my heat started and I was lucky to find an alpha." He looked into Fernando's eyes with cold fury. "He did me bareback right in the restroom, then took me to his place." 

"Aren't you scared of catching a disease?" Fernando spat. 

"Anger makes you stupid, Fernando. Omegas in heat are immune to diseases." 

"But not immune to pregnancies," Fernando said. 

Sergio's face darkened. "I can't get pregnant," he said. 

"What?" Fernando said, immediately sobering up, "Oh, I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have... I'm sorry." 

"Right, you shouldn't have." 

"Sorry," Fernando whispered, "I didn't know. Is-is it because of heat triggers?" 

Sergio nodded. "Heat triggers, stress, physical strain, malnutrition. There are many causes. At least that's what the doctor said when my parents dragged me to him after I got out of the center." 

"I'm so sorry," Fernando repeated. 

"Not like I wanted children," Sergio shrugged, "Though it'd be nice to have a choice." 

"What did your parents say when they found out about it?" 

"I don't remember," Sergio shrugged, "Was too busy having a panic attack." He laughed briefly. "Not one of my finest moments." 

"Oh God, Sergio," Fernando whispered, sitting next to him and tentatively touching his shoulder. 

Sergio took a deep breath and got up. "I'm going to sleep," he said, "Night." 

For a moment Fernando wanted to stop him, to try to convince him again to testify against _Green Haven_ that had done this to him, but bit his tongue in time. What was the point? Sergio was just going to get mad and start shouting again and Fernando wasn't ready for a third fight in half an hour. So he bid Sergio good night and went to the bedroom, taking Sergio's boots with him.


	13. Chapter 13

They went on like that, following Sergio's cycle of good mood, bad mood and disappearance, spiced with fights in between. It was exhausting and along with his double cases was draining Fernando drop by drop. At times he found himself wishing he had gone straight home that fateful day and hadn't met Sergio, but then wanted to punch himself for such thoughts when he imagined Sergio with some abusive creep or wandering alone in heat and without someone he could go to. He comforted himself by the fact that he'd gotten better at avoiding conflicts, though it was largely due to Sergio getting more and more withdrawn and not talking to Fernando unless absolutely necessary. So Fernando was surprised when one evening when he was getting ready to sleep, he heard a timid knock at the door. A few seconds later Sergio came in, keeping his eyes down. 

"What's wrong?" Fernando asked warily. 

"Fer," Sergio cast a feverish look at him, "I need you." 

Fernando knew there was only one thing Sergio would need him for. "No," he said. 

Sergio's eyes widened. "Why not?" 

Fernando let out a shuddering breath. He'd rehearsed what he was going to do once Sergio went in heat, but it was much more difficult in practice. 

"I don't-I don't want it... like this," he said, "I'm not going to do it. It's wrong. Sorry, Sergio." 

"Please," Sergio said, sitting on the bed next to Fernando, "I need you, please." 

Fernando shook his head, but Sergio paid no mind to it. He put his burning palm on Fernando's bare chest and pushed him down the bed. 

"I know you want this," he whispered. 

"Stop it, Sergio," Fernando forced out, "I'm not going to do it." 

Sergio's breathing quickened. He sat down on Fernando's crotch, rubbing against it. The beta could feel himself harden and he hated it. He was so close to losing control and giving in, but he wasn't going to let Sergio manipulate him again. Wasn't going to let him get what he wants and then discard him like a useless thing. 

"I'll do whatever you want," Sergio said desperately, "Anything, Fer. I-I-I'll testify against the center. I promise." 

Fernando swallowed. "You're playing dirty, Sergio," he said hoarsely. 

"I just want you to stop being so righteous and fuck me," Sergio said, "I know you want it too." He palmed Fernando through his jeans. "I can feel that." 

Fernando tried to squirm away from his touch. "You of all people should know that physiological reaction isn't everything," he panted. 

"I'm not talking about this." Sergio cupped him again, then leaned over Fernando. "I can see it in your eyes." 

Fernando looked away. Sergio smirked like a man who knew he'd won and unzipped Fernando's jeans. Gathering all his willpower, Fernando sat up and pushed Sergio away. 

"No," he said firmly, "I said I'm not going to do it, Sergio. Please, stop it. It's wrong." 

"You can't just leave me like this," Sergio said, his voice a little higher than usual, "You can't, Fernando! What do you want me to do?" 

"You-you have those... things in your room, so you could..." 

"Fuck you, Fernando," Sergio cried, jumping to his feet. He was shaking with whole body. "I fucking hate you!" 

He slammed the bedroom door shut. Fernando barely stopped himself from running after him and apologizing for practically telling him to go fuck himself. But he knew he shouldn't. He didn't want to make the same mistakes again, didn't want to give Sergio something he could use against him later, something that would make him no different from Sergio's past lovers. He'd done it before and felt dirty afterwards. He wasn't looking forward to repeating it despite what his boner might indicate. 

He could hear Sergio walking in the living room, talking to someone on the phone. Then the front door opened and Fernando ran out of the room. 

"Where are you going?" he asked Sergio who was almost out of the door. 

"To someone who cares about me more than you do," Sergio snapped. 

It felt like a punch to the gut. "Well, good riddance," Fernando shouted and Sergio banged the door as a response. 

Suppressing the urge to kick something, Fernando ran to the balcony. He saw Sergio go out of the building. A few seconds later a car approached him. Sergio got in and the car disappeared swiftly. 

Fernando remained standing in the balcony, looking down with misty eyes. "I did the right thing," he whispered to himself, but it didn't make the jealousy and the worry disappear.

~~~

Next morning Fernando woke up still feeling tired and angry. As if he didn't have enough to worry about with the most likely final hearing of his murder case just a few days away, now he had to worry for Sergio. Who was he with now? Whose car was that? Was he treating Sergio right? What they were doing was out of question. Fernando knew it and was trying not to think about it. He knew Sergio was going to be gone for at least three days and that he had to think about his case rather than the omega, but his mind wasn't obeying him.

On the third night of Sergio's disappearance Fernando woke up from the sound of a key being turned in the lock. After a few moments spent in confusion he realized it had to be Sergio. Huh. Earlier than expected. He heard Sergio's soft footsteps, then the sound of the shower running. Somewhere in the middle of Sergio taking a shower he fell asleep and woke up only when he felt a warm body press to his. 

Sergio was naked, he could feel that, he was rubbing his bare ass on Fernando's crotch and the front of the beta's boxers soon got dump. 

"What are you doing?" he tried to protest weakly. 

"Please," Sergio whispered, turning to face him, "Just once." He pressed his lips to the pulse point on Fernando's neck and the other man's breath hitched. "Just once," Sergio repeated, his hand creeping inside Fernando's boxers and stroking him to full hardness. "It might be the last time." 

"W-why?" Fernando moaned. 

"I'm going to look for places to rent tomorrow," Sergio said, pulling Fernando over himself, "So this might be our last time. You won't miss that chance, will you, Fer? You'll help me out. You're a real friend. The only one who cares." 

And Fernando knew, knew he was being manipulated again, knew Sergio would denounce his words first thing in the morning, knew he would use his weakness against him, but he couldn't take it anymore. Hating both himself and Sergio, he flipped the omega over and pulled his hips up. 

He fucked Sergio with quick, rough thrusts, trying to get it over with as fast as he could and fighting against tears all the time. Sergio didn't seem overly enthusiastic either and at times sounded like he was crying, but Fernando didn't want to pry. 

He came with a grunt and slumped down on the bed, spooning Sergio and still rocking gently inside him. In a few minutes the omega came for the second time. Fernando wanted to pull out of him and leave the room, but he didn't have the strength and didn't see the point. Instead he stared at Sergio's tattooed shoulder, torn between the desire to press his lips to it and to punch it. 

"Why don't you just kick me out?" Sergio said suddenly, his voice hoarse. 

"I don't know," Fernando answered. 

He was falling asleep when he heard Sergio's faint 'thank you'.

~~~

True to his word Sergio left early in the morning and didn't come back that day. Fernando knew that with his final hearing the next day Sergio should be the last thing on his mind, but he was all he could think about. Even with all the pain Sergio was causing him, the thought that he might never see him again terrified Fernando. The fear didn't leave him the whole day and the next day too, it was with him when he woke up, when he had breakfast, when he headed to the courtroom, when the hearing started. Considering that, losing the case shouldn't have come as a surprise to him, but it did anyway.

Fernando felt like this was all a dream. A nightmare that he often had. He felt numb after the verdict was announced and when he spoke to his client and when he drove home. Only when he closed the door of his apartment, it suddenly hit him. He'd just lost a case for the first time in his life. He'd lost it because of his unprofessionalism, because he hadn't paid enough attention to it. And he had not just put his career at risk, but also played with the fate of another person. Because of him his client could spend years in jail. 

He punched the wall, swearing loudly when his knuckles started to bleed. What was he doing with his life? To hell with his life, what right did he have to play with the lives of other people? Sure, they were going to appeal, but undoubtedly neither his client, nor his bosses would continue trusting him. He didn't know what to do. He suffocated in the apartment, but felt like he couldn't go outside. In the end he ended up drinking brandy, sprawled on the couch, not bothering even taking off his dress shirt. 

He was busy wallowing in self-pity, when he heard the familiar sound of the key turning in the lock. 

"Oh, look who's back," he muttered darkly. 

He heard Sergio's footsteps approaching, but didn't glance at him. 

"What are you doing?" he heard Sergio's surprised voice. 

"Do you really care?" Fernando snapped. 

"What's wrong?" Sergio asked carefully. 

"I lost my fucking case, that's wrong!" Fernando shouted, "I fucked up my career and someone's life!" 

"I'm sorry," Sergio said quietly. 

"You'd better be," Fernando cried, jumping up, "It's because of..." He stopped abruptly when he looked at Sergio. He seemed so genuinely upset, so guilty, that Fernando didn't have the heart to accuse him. "Never mind," he said instead, sitting down again and reaching for the bottle of brandy. 

Sergio snatched it away. "This isn't a good idea, Fer." 

"Look who's talking," Fernando snorted, "Give it here." 

"No, really, Fer. You know what you should do?" Sergio took a deep breath and after a few seconds of hesitation said, "Go change into something more comfortable." 

"Why?" Fernando asked. 

Sergio gulped and took a step back, murmured something inarticulate, but finally looked at Fernando with determination. "I'm taking you out." 

Fernando narrowed his eyes. "Is that a joke?" 

Sergio shook his head. 

"Where are we going?" Fernando asked. 

Sergio smiled. "You'll see." 

Still suspicious, Fernando went to his room and put on jeans and a tee. 

"I'm driving," Sergio said, grabbing Fernando's car keys. 

He looked like he was making every effort not to bail out, taking forcefully firm and determined steps and not looking back. Fernando just followed him, not entirely sure this was really happening. 

"Aren't you going to tell me where you're taking me?" he asked after fifteen minutes of silent driving. 

"Nope, but you're gonna like it," Sergio said. "I hope," he added under his breath. 

"And I hope you're not taking me to the place you've rented," Fernando muttered. 

"Haven't found one yet," Sergio said, "Haven't even gotten a raise." 

It calmed Fernando a little and he leaned back in his seat, looking out of the window and trying not to think about his defeat. 

When they went out of the city and Sergio turned to the left from the highway, it suddenly dawned on Fernando. They were going to the beach and most likely to the same place he and Sergio had sneaked off to when they were young and in love. They were going to their place. 

He looked at Sergio in astonishment. Sergio glanced at him and smiled faintly.

~~~

There wasn't anyone in their place as usual. That part of the beach was covered in rocks instead of soft sand, but it hadn't bothered them before and it didn't bother them now. They sat on a giant rock in front of the cave where they had made love for many times, and looked at the calm sea. Fernando could feel its calmness seeping through his mind and soothing him.

"Let's go for a swim," Sergio said suddenly. 

"I haven't taken my swimsuit," Fernando said, "If you just told me where we were going, I would have." 

"C'mon, it doesn't matter," Sergio said, "Let's just skinny dip." 

Fernando snorted. "Are you crazy? We're adults now." 

"So what?" Sergio shrugged, "There is no one here. C'mon, Fer." 

Fernando still hesitated. Sergio rolled his eyes, got up, took off his clothes and jumped into the sea. 

"Come here," he called laughing. 

Fernando couldn't believe his eyes. He felt like he'd gone back in time and was looking at the teenage Sergio now. He couldn't miss this opportunity. He undressed and jumped in the water with a joyful shout. 

The water wasn't warm, but it wasn't freezing. They swam lazily for a little bit, then Sergio started splashing water on Fernando's face and Fernando decided that the only way to answer was trying to drown him. They emerged from under the waves laughing and spitting out sea water, shoving each other playfully. 

"First to the shore wins," Sergio announced suddenly and immediately started swimming. 

"Hey, it's not fair," Fernando cried indignantly and swam after him, trying to reach him and kick him under the water. 

Despite his efforts, Sergio reached the shore first and started laughing at the fuming Fernando. 

"Oh God, you're such a loser," he guffawed, "You suck, Fernando." 

"Shut up," Fernando grumbled, climbing up on the rock, "It doesn't count. You cheated." 

"Lo-ser," Sergio sang, sprawling on the rock and closing his eyes. 

Fernando sat down next to him. The sun was warming up his body, Sergio was close by, beautiful and carefree, smiling with his eyes closed, and despite the lost case Fernando suddenly felt happier than he had in a long time. The only thing that was bothering him now was the burning desire to touch Sergio, to caress his face like a lover would, to kiss him and to be kissed back. But he didn't want to push his luck. He tried to turn his back to Sergio to resist the temptation, but he could still _feel_ him, could hear his calm breathing, could picture his smile. 

He dared a glance at the other man. He seemed to be dozing off, so Fernando quietly got up and started walking around. His feet involuntarily led him to the cave, where he and Sergio had spent so many happy moments together. 

Lost in memories, he didn't hear Sergio enter after him until the other man whispered in his ear, "Decided to leave me alone?" 

Fernando shivered, though it wasn't cold. "No," he said, "Just wanted to see this place again." He turned back and found himself face to face with Sergio, very close, almost touching. "Remember?" he said. 

The smile was gone from Sergio's face, but it soon reappeared, though now it was a sad one. 

"Yes," he said, "I remember." 

He looked into Fernando's eyes and the other man was suddenly acutely aware of his nakedness. Sergio leaned closer, his lips touching Fernando's earshell. 

"You were so beautiful," he whispered, "You still are. Even more than before." 

Fernando's heart was in his throat and threatened to burst out, as Sergio's fingers slid along his neck, grazed his chest and started circling around his navel. When they slid lower, Fernando sucked in a sharp breath. Sergio smiled at him and pushed him gently. Fernando took a few steps back until he hit the wall of the cave. Sergio pressed to him and looked into his eyes for a few seconds, their harsh breaths mixing, then the omega lowered his head and started sucking a hickey on Fernando's neck. The other man moaned, gripping Sergio's arms hard enough to bruise. 

Sergio licked the newly formed hickey and started repeating his path down, but this time with his lips. He put little kisses on Fernando's chest, biting down sometimes and smiling against the warm skin whenever the beta gasped in surprise. He ran his fingers over Fernando's abs and they strained under his caresses. He traced his tongue over Fernando's hipbone and embarrassing sounds started spilling out from the other man's lips. 

Sergio looked up and smiled, then continued his mission of marking Fernando's body. His next target was the soft inner side of Fernando's thigh. The beta's knees started trembling, as Sergio started sucking on his sensitive skin. He couldn't believe this was happening, happening at Sergio's initiative, that Sergio still thought he was beautiful and still wanted him without being in heat. 

After bruising the backside of his knee, Sergio raised his head and took the tip of Fernando's cock into his mouth. The other man jerked up, a sharp cry escaping his lips. Sergio laughed, laughed the way he had years before, and it sent a sharp jolt of pain to Fernando's heart and brought tears to his eyes. 

"Sergio," he whispered. 

The omega looked up questioningly. Fernando took his hands and pulled him up. He wrapped his arms around Sergio's midsection as tightly as he could, pressing his lips to his temple. His hands started roaming over Sergio's back, while his mouth was caressing his face. 

"Let me kiss you," Fernando pleaded. 

Sergio pulled back a little, then pressed his lips to Fernando's. The beta's hand crawled up to his hair, as his lips started devouring Sergio's with hunger. The other man didn't hold back himself, licking up Fernando's mouth with his tongue. 

Fernando had to break apart to gasp for air when Sergio suddenly grabbed both of their cocks and spread precum over them, starting to jerk them off. He didn't let Fernando breathe for long, mere seconds later he reclaimed his lips and the beta could only grip the wall not to fall down. 

Sergio let go of his lips and passed to his neck, then to his throat, when Fernando threw his head back in overwhelming pleasure. The feeling of Sergio's lips on his body and of Sergio's hand on his cock was almost too much for Fernando to bear. He was scared he would suffocate from the intensity of it. 

Sergio's hand was moving faster and faster and Fernando's moans were getting louder and louder. He was so close he would be embarrassed if he hadn't lost the ability of thinking about anything else but Sergio. 

The omega's other hand went to grab Fernando by the back of his head and pull him closer for another searing kiss. It was what brought Fernando over the edge and he came all over his and Sergio's stomachs with a muffled cry released into Sergio's mouth. 

_I love you, I love you, I love you_ , he could only think, as the waves of pleasure shook him, but he didn't dare say it out loud. Sergio tried to untangle himself from Fernando's arms, his hard-on leaking precum and poking on Fernando's thigh, but the other man held him tighter and reached for his cock, his hand sliding up and down it together with Sergio's until the omega too came with a moan that Fernando broke off with a kiss. 

They leaned on the wall for a few minutes to catch their breaths, then walked out of the cave. When Fernando tentatively took Sergio's hand, the other man didn't object.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is late as usual. I'm sorry, I hope you'll still like it.

They drove back to the city in silence. Fernando was dying to start a conversation, but the fear that it would dispel the seaside magic didn't let him do it. Only when they were nearing his building did he gather the courage to break the silence. 

"Hey, Sese," he said, "Thank you for today." 

Sergio only shrugged and Fernando's heart sank a little. Seemed like everything was back to what it'd been. But he had to try. 

"What happened in the cave..." 

"Stop," Sergio said briskly, then sighed, "Look, Fer, that-that was an one-off thing. I really don't want to fight today and spoil the day even more for you and if you don't want to either, let's just... not talk about it." 

"Okay," Fernando said, hoping his voice didn't waver, "But you know, it wasn't you who spoiled my day." 

"Yeah," Sergio said, "That-that case... Is it really going to fuck up your career?" 

Fernando sighed. Fuentes was going to eat him alive for losing the case and some people would gladly join her, though now Fernando found out that he strangely didn't care about that anymore. He was going to lose that job sooner or later if he kept working against _Green Haven_ and he _was_ going to keep working against _Green Haven_. But he didn't want to tell all this to Sergio and to spark another argument. 

"I don't know," he answered instead, "Don't you worry about it, I'll think of something." 

Sergio opened his mouth to answer, but all that came out was such a loud gasp that it made Fernando push the breaks immediately. 

"What?" he said surprised, but Sergio didn't answer, staring at a man standing in the shadow of a tree. 

"Who's that?" Fernando asked, opening the car door. 

"No one, let's go," Sergio said, but Fernando was already out of the door. 

Cursing under his breath, Sergio followed him. 

"Finally you're here," the man said. 

His voice was vaguely familiar, but for the life of him Fernando couldn't remember where he knew it from. 

"Sergio," the man said, coming forward with a smirk playing on his lips, "Don't you want to come and hug your brother?" 

"What are you doing here, Rene?" Sergio asked in a strained voice. 

"Is that how you greet your brother?" Rene shook his head in mock disapproval. "Fernando, maybe you will be more polite?" 

Before Fernando could find an answer, Sergio took a step forward. 

"What are you doing here, Rene?" he repeated more sternly. 

The older man sighed. "Wanted to talk to you, Sese. I heard you've reunited with your old love again, so I came here." 

"I have nothing to talk to you." 

He turned to go, but Rene grabbed his arm. "We have to talk, Sergio." 

"No," Sergio jerked his arm away, "Let's go, Fer." 

Rene stepped in front of him. "I won't leave until you talk to me. I'll follow you to your workplace and wherever you go, so you'd better talk to me now." 

Sergio took a deep breath. "Fine. Tell me." 

"Not here. Let's go have a couple of beers. My treat." 

"It's here or nowhere. I'm not coming with you." 

"Yes, you are," Rene said. 

"No, I'm not," Sergio cried. 

"Guys," Fernando butted in, "What if we all go upstairs, to my place, and you can talk there?" 

The brothers shot the same annoyed look at Fernando, but reluctantly agreed. 

The drive to the parking and the ride in the elevator seemed ages to Fernando. The tension was so palpable it could be cut by a knife. Fernando took a breath only when he opened the door of his apartment and invited Rene and Sergio in. Rene took a seat in the armchair and Fernando and Sergio sat down on the couch in front of him. 

"I'd like to talk to my brother alone, thank you," Rene said rudely, glaring at Fernando. 

"No," Sergio said, "Fernando's staying." 

"What is it? Are you scared of me?" Rene mocked, "I thought you were a tough guy. Isn't that how you think of yourself?" 

Sergio's face darkened. He opened his mouth, but Fernando raised his hand, stopping him. 

"How about I make coffee while you two are talking?" he offered. 

"Fine," Rene said. 

"Fine," Sergio agreed. 

Fernando walked to the kitchen relieved. This way he'd be close enough to keep an eye on the brothers and far enough not to disturb them. Sergio leaned back on the couch, seemingly calm and relaxed, but Fernando could clearly see that how nervous and tense he was. He started doubting the sanity of his decision to invite Rene here. Fernando wasn't very fond of him either, but he was still Sergio's brother and he had thought that this might give them a chance to reconcile, though looking at them now that chance seemed very slim. 

"What is it you wanted to talk about?" Sergio said aggressively. 

"About you," Rene said, "I've been thinking about you a lot, I've been very worried about your lifestyle, Sergio. I wanted to talk to you for a long time and when I heard that you're back with..." He glanced over his shoulder. "With him, I decided that it's time to talk, time to help you change your life, make right decisions." 

"Really now," Sergio said venomously, "You want to help me now, when I don't need it, and not when _I_ came to you for help. Not when I really needed your help. Remember what you did then, Rene? You kicked me out. So guess what? I don't need your help. I can take care of myself." 

"Sergio, I didn't kick you out. I just told you to go back to your alpha and try to make up with him." 

"He'd broken my wrist!" Sergio cried, "He used to hit me whenever he felt like it and put out cigarettes on my body. I came to you with a broken wrist and a swollen eye and you told me to go back to that man!" 

Fernando had to grip the edge of the kitchen counter to get hold of the sudden white-hot anger. His gaze met Sergio's, but the omega looked away quickly. 

"If you are such a cool guy and can take care of yourself, why did you let him do that to you then?" Rene muttered. 

"He was a fucking professional boxer," Sergio shouted, "And I was just a kid. I needed my brother then, not now. I don't need anyone now." 

"Okay, Sergio, I admit it, I was wrong," Rene said, "I shouldn't have sent you back to your alpha. I made a mistake. Happy now? It's in the past, just forget about it. Focus on your present. You have to see that you're destroying your life. You're wasting it away with this beta. Instead you could find someone and have a real family." 

"Rene, it's none of your business what I'm doing with my life. Don't worry, I'm not back with Fernando, he just was kind enough to let me stay here when I needed it. But I don't want to find someone and have a family. I don't want an alpha. I don't need an alpha." 

"No, you do, Sergio. Every omega does." 

Fernando cringed. Apparently Rene didn't know Sergio at all or he would have realized that saying things like that was just going to make him more stubborn and mad. 

"You can't control my life," Sergio hissed, "You have no fucking right to come here and tell me these things." 

"I do. I'm your older brother and I'm an alpha." 

Sergio's face contorted in rage and he jumped up to his feet. Fernando took a step closer to them, ready to intervene if a fight broke out. 

"I don't care who you are," Sergio shouted, "Take your alpha dick and shove it up your ass! I don't give a fuck about your help and your advice. I don't need a fucking alpha. I'm my own person. If I want to stay alone, then I will fucking do it. Got it, Mr. Alpha dick?" 

"Just look at you," Rene said with disgust, "Look at what you've become. Look at how you're talking to me, look at those stupid scribbles you tattooed on your body. Why can't you be normal? This is why you can't find an alpha and if you go on like this, you never will." 

"Get the fuck out, Rene," Sergio said, "Just fuck off. I don't want to see you or to hear your bullshit, you self-absorbed alpha prick." 

Rene jumped to his feet too. "You disrespectful brat," he cried, "This is how you repay me? I just want to help you and this is how you answer? So listen to me, Sergio. Very soon I'm going to pay you another visit. If you haven't found an alpha by then, it'll be worse." 

"Oh, really? And what are going to do, your alphaness?" 

"I'm going to send you back to the omega center," Rene said. 

All color drained from Sergio's face. "You can't," he whispered, "You... don't have a right. You can't." 

"Can't I?" Rene said, "Maybe. But you know who can? Dads. And if you don't find an alpha soon, I'm going to ask them to send you back to that center, so they can work on your behavioral issues again." 

Sergio slowly sat down on the couch. "No," he said quietly, shaking his head, "You can't. You won't do that, Rene." He looked up pleadingly at his brother, who was towering over him. "You won't do that, right?" 

"I will," the alpha said mercilessly, "They softened your rough edges the first time, they can do that this time too." 

"Why?" Sergio said quietly, "Why would you do this to me?" 

"For your own good, Sergio. You don't realize that, but I'm doing this for you. I know what's best for you." 

"No, no, you don't-you don't know... Rene, don't do that." 

"Not so tough now, are you?" Rene smirked, "See how easy it is to rip your tough guy mask off you? See that you can't take care of yourself? See that you need an alpha? Find an alpha, tough guy, or suffer the consequences. And stop pretending you're so cool. Look at you. You're pathetic." 

"That's enough," Fernando said loudly, "Leave, Rene." 

"I'm not finished yet." 

"Yes, you are," Fernando said, trying with all his might to stay calm, "This is my house and I want you out right now." 

"Fine," Rene spat out through his teeth. 

Fernando opened the door for him and the alpha walked out with one last glance at Sergio, who'd wrapped his arms around himself and was now staring at his knees. 

"This is your fault," Rene hissed at Fernando. 

The beta closed the door on his face and ran to Sergio. 

"Hey," he said, sitting down next to him, "Are you okay?" 

Sergio shook his head. "I can't go back there," he said, grabbing Fernando's hand suddenly, "I can't." 

"You won't," Fernando said, "I swear I won't let anyone take you away from me. Not this time." 

"My parents... They won't do it. They won't do it again, right? Rene was already living on his own then, he didn't see me, but they saw me. They won't do it to me again." 

He looked at Fernando hopefully, as though expecting him to confirm his words. 

Fernando squeezed his hand gently. "It'll be fine. Everything is going to be fine. Rene was just mad, because you called him an alpha prick." 

Sergio didn't smile. "What I hate most of all is that he was right," he said quietly, "I'm not tough. I just pretend. One word and I was cowering in a corner like a scared puppy. Pathetic." 

"No, Sergio," Fernando said, "It's not because you're weak or pathetic, it's because you were tortured in that place. I'd like to see how Rene would talk if he went through what you did." 

Sergio looked at him gratefully, but his shoulders were still slumped. Fernando started caressing his hand with a thumb. 

"I'm sorry for inviting him here," he said. 

"It's fine. He wasn't going to leave me alone anyway." 

Fernando gritted his teeth, but refrained from making a comment about Rene. 

"I'll make you tea with cinnamon," he told Sergio. 

"Thank you." 

When Fernando returned with a tray with tea and cookies, Sergio looked a little better, less broken, and Fernando hesitated before asking what he'd intended to ask, but he did in the end by the force of professional habit. 

"Sergio," he said, trying to find a way to form his question more delicately, "Did you really date a professional boxer?" 

Sergio shuffled uncomfortably. "Yeah. He was my first real... boyfriend after you. I-I approached him myself and offered him..." His fingers tightened around the mug. "I was in heat then, I just wanted some place to stay for a couple of days and I offered him... I didn't know who he was, he just looked good and seemed like he could afford a hotel room. He agreed, I stayed in his hotel and he fucked me and bought me food and let me shower. Told me to find him if I needed him. I did a few times. Some time later he saved me from being beaten up and possibly killed and offered to go with him. At that moment he seemed an angel to me. I didn't even think why a man like him would want someone like me. I went with him, I had nowhere to go anyway, I was living on the streets, and he was a beautiful, strong and rich man. Little did I know that he was also a psychopath who liked to vent his frustration on me." Sergio hunched his shoulders to repress a shudder. "At first everything was perfect. He cared for me, he gave me money for my first tattoo, but then he started to... It reached a point when I was even scared to breathe in his presence. I couldn't even fight back, he was physically stronger than me and I was just out of a place where they'd taught us to worship alphas. I didn't know what to do. I had nowhere to go, I thought it was the best I could hope for. But it was getting worse and I was seriously scared he'd kill me. One well-aimed punch could be all it took. Then he broke my wrist and I ran away and didn't go back. After that I made sure to always stay in form and tried to choose partners I was sure I could overpower if necessary." 

Sergio fell silent, staring down, and Fernando was glad for it, because it gave him time to push back his tears. 

"Where is that fucker now?" he asked hoarsely. 

"Died in a car crash a couple of years ago," Sergio answered monotonously. 

Fernando almost wished he were alive, so he could kill him with his own hands. 

"What happened then?" he asked. 

Sergio shrugged. "I went to Rene, he kicked me out." 

Fernando clenched his fists. His brother might not be the best brother in the world, but he was sure Israel would never turn his back on him if Fernando went to him beaten up and begging for help. 

"Where did you go after that?" he asked. 

"I was wandering in the streets, near hospitals, too scared to go in, because I thought they'd call my alpha or my parents. I didn't know what to do. If I went back, I knew he'd kill me, if I went to my parents', I was scared they'd sent me back to the center and I'd rather be dead..." 

"I wish I were there for you," Fernando murmured. 

Sergio smirked bitterly. "You weren't. But there was Bea. A nurse who found me sitting in front of a hospital, almost unconscious. She took me to her place and patched me up." 

"And then?" Fernando asked. 

Sergio raised a brow, but answered nonetheless. "I lived with her for some time. She was so kind, so patient. She gave me so much. I felt good with her, so of course I had to fuck it up." He fell silent, just drinking his tea for a minute, and when Fernando thought he wasn't going to tell more, Sergio continued. "She was into some hardcore stuff. Seriously, she was an active member of the local bondage community, took part in all the events, organized scenes and so on. She offered me to participate. And I was so desperately eager to please her... I knew from the start I hated it, it was too soon after all the shit that'd happened in my life, but I kept going. I could somehow pretend I was enjoying it while we were at home, though I had to constantly remind myself that no one was going to hurt me too badly, that she was going to stop if I asked her. Soon she asked me if I'd agree to go to one of their dungeons. I knew I had to refuse, but I didn't." Sergio laughed his already familiar sad laughter. "It was a disaster. I had the worst panic attack ever. I literally froze and couldn't even say my safeword. Couldn't calm down for over an hour. Everything fell apart after that. I was blaming Bea for pushing me into it and feeling guilty because I failed her. She was blaming me for not trusting her and feeling guilty for making me do it. All that ended up breaking us apart." 

Sergio looked inside his empty mug, twirling it in his hands. Fernando quietly sat down next to him, took the mug, put it away and hold Sergio's hand. 

"I'm so sorry," he said. 

"I don't need you to be sorry for me," Sergio said, "It's in the past now. I'm-I'm not... I'm not the same. Don't feel sorry for me." 

"I'm not sorry for you," Fernando said, "I'm sorry for what happened to you." 

Sergio didn't say anything, but kept his hand tangled with Fernando's, though probably he didn't even notice that. His eyes were hazy, as though he was far away. 

"What happened then?" Fernando nudged him gently. 

Sergio blinked and snatched his hand away. "Nothing. Everything went along the same lines, more or less. I don't want to bore you with the story of my life. I've already told you more than enough. You didn't ask for it." 

"Yes, I did," Fernando said. 

"I don't want to talk about it anymore. Stop questioning me!" Sergio's voice suddenly was an octave higher as happened when he went into his defensive mode. "I-I shouldn't have told you those things. You made me, you-you made me talk..." 

"Sergio, I didn't make you do anything," Fernando said carefully. 

"You did! You did it with this your understanding look, with-with your promises and your-your cinnamon tea." He pulled at his hair. "I-I can't... I can't do this. I-I have to go. I can't." 

He turned on his heels and ran out of the apartment. When Fernando overcame the shock, he ran after him, but Sergio had already disappeared.

~~~

Fernando was lying awake in his bed with his eyes wide open. This roller-coaster of a day had left him exhausted, but sleep still avoided him. He wondered if he hadn't pushed Sergio too far. The omega had already been overwhelmed after his brother's visit and Fernando had kept questioning him, reminding him of the horrors in his past. No wonder he'd snapped. Again. Sergio probably needed professional help, but if Fernando dared to suggest it, there would be a shitstorm.

He was so busy analyzing and reanalyzing every word that Sergio had uttered and every word he had told him that he realized the other man had returned only when his bedroom door opened quietly. 

"Fer, are you awake?" he heard Sergio's faint whisper. 

For a moment Fernando considered pretending to be asleep, but decided against it. 

"Yes." 

"I... wanted to tell you something." 

"Now?" Fernando sat up in the bed. "What is it?" 

"Just-just don't think that it's got anything to do with what Rene said today." Sergio was talking quickly and awkwardly. "I had made my decision before he came here, I wanted to tell you before, at the seaside, but, I don't know, I just didn't, thought it wasn't the time. I have to tell now or-or I never will." 

Fernando's heart started beating wildly. Had Sergio decided to move out or maybe to find an alpha and settle down? Was he going to lose him forever? 

"What?" he croaked, "What-what did you... What?" 

Sergio took a deep breath. "I'll do it," he said, "I-I'll testify. I'll testify against them." 

Fernando opened his mouth in utter shock. No sound came out, he wanted to pinch himself to make sure it wasn't a dream, but his hands were shaking too badly. 

"Okay," he said, finally finding his voice. 

His thoughts were racing in his head, but he found no other thing to say. Sergio only nodded and went out, bidding him good night. Fernando fell down on the bed, his mind too alert to let him sleep. Strangely, he didn't feel happy or relieved as he'd expected. He was overwhelmed, he was tired, he was confused and for the first time since he'd started his crusade against the omega centers, he started doubting the ultimate victory. With Sergio agreeing to testify the stakes suddenly skyrocketed and the responsibility tripled. Fernando couldn't fail him again. He closed his eyes, promising to himself that he wouldn't.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *lurks from behind the corner* Uh, hello? So much for finishing this story before New Year. I know, I know I suck. I can only apologize. I'm really, really sorry. I was having some work-related and personal problems, I didn't like the last chapters of this fic, I felt like I'd written myself into a corner and didn't know how to bring the story to its end and I had drifted away from this fandom for a little while. But I solved my problems, reread some old favorites and now I'm back. Hopefully I'll resume updating more or less regularly and get to reading all the stories I've missed. There are just three or four chapters left and there will probably be an epilogue.   
> Again, I'm very sorry and I hope you still remember this fic.
> 
> I also want to rec some of the fics that helped me get back in the writing mood. They are old Sernando fics, hugely popular back then. I'm sure you've read most if not all of these stories, but still I want to share ~~to distract you from my long, long absence~~. Please tell me if I've messed up the links.
> 
> [The tale of the gentleman farmer](http://archiveofourown.org/works/465237), [Feedback greatly appreciated](http://archiveofourown.org/works/465095) and [On deadline](http://archiveofourown.org/works/465296/chapters/803428) by [heyitsk](http://archiveofourown.org/users/heyitsk/pseuds/heyitsk)
> 
> Everything by [estuve](http://estuve.livejournal.com/) but especially: [This is the wonder that keeps stars apart](http://estuve.livejournal.com/5900.html) (the main pairing is Gerrard/Alonso here, but it's still wonderful even if you don't like them), [This has nothing to do with happiness](http://estuve.livejournal.com/11056.html#cutid1) (Warning! It will make you BAWL!) and [A wild thing](http://estuve.livejournal.com/10363.html).
> 
> [Sailing to drift](http://archiveofourown.org/works/230016) and [With a glass I'm pretty handy](http://archiveofourown.org/works/230015) by [distira](http://archiveofourown.org/users/distira)
> 
> [Follow](http://winter-stars1.livejournal.com/?skip=10&tag=fic:follow) (sadly the story was abandoned before its proper completion, but you can still read it, it's practically finished) and [El fuego segreto](http://winter-stars1.livejournal.com/?skip=20&tag=fic:el%20fuego%20secreto) by [winter-stars1](http://winter-stars1.livejournal.com/)
> 
> [Gitano](http://werepope.livejournal.com/tag/sergio%20ramos) by [werepope](http://werepope.livejournal.com/) (This story isn't finished at all, they are only two chapters and a series of drabbles, but it's so, so good. The link leads to the tag sergio ramos, because unfortunately the story isn't tagged in any other way. You just have to look for "Gitano" chapter 1 and 2 and the drabbles. Though I suggest you read the other fics too).
> 
> This is by no means the full list of the fics I love, but if I listed them all, this will get too long. What are _your_ favorite Sernando (or not) fics?

Sergio was being difficult on purpose. There was no other way Fernando could explain his behavior. They were gathered in his kitchen, Sergio, Roca and Alfredo Prieto, to prepare for the first hearing of their case, which was going to take place in less than a week, and Sergio was stubbornly refusing to cooperate. 

He'd been getting more and more withdrawn and quiet ever since Fernando told him he'd handed in his notice. He didn't have a choice. Fuentes straight up told him that he was going to lose his job if he didn't stop antagonizing _Green Haven_. Fernando countered that by resigning. He knew his savings would sustain him for some time and he could focus on the center case and then find a job in another firm or start his own independent career. 

He told Sergio about it casually, as though it was no big deal, trying not to show that he was terrified of his reaction. To his surprise and relief Sergio reacted calmly, but from that moment the bond Fernando thought they'd mended since the seaside was broken again. And now he categorically refused to take part in Fernando's make-believe court. 

"This is ridiculous," he announced, "I don't want to tell the story of my life in front of other people." 

"If you can't talk in front of me and your fellow omegas, how are you going to tell it in front of the judge, the jury and dozens of other people, many of them will try to deny it?" Fernando snapped. 

"Well, maybe I won't," Sergio said, "This whole idea is ridiculous. You can't really believe you're going to win." 

"If only you had a little more hope, maybe we would," Fernando said. 

"If only you had a little more brains, maybe you wouldn't start this whole thing in the first place," Sergio growled. 

Feeling his cheeks heat up, Fernando glared at Sergio, trying to subdue him with the force of his look. Sergio stared back defiantly, not showing the slightest bit of remorse. Prieto politely averted his eyes, pretending to be interested in the kitchen wall, but Roca apparently was having none of it. 

"Okay, listen here, you asswit," she told Sergio, "This guy over here does everything possible and impossible to help your ungrateful ass. The least you could do is to show some respect to someone who is ready to sacrifice everything for you." 

Sergio blinked and opened his mouth to retort, but Roca held up a finger to silence him. 

"Nope, you sit down now and do what Mr. Lawyer says and if I hear one more word from you I don't like, you're going to lose a few teeth, I promise you that." 

Sergio looked like he wanted to say something, but apparently decided against it and sat down, crossing his arms on his chest and pursing his lips like a child. Barely containing his laughter, Fernando went on with his preparations without any objections.

~~~

The evening before the first hearing Fernando allowed himself a little rest. He ordered a pizza, sat in front of the TV and started watching the reruns of old sitcoms. He'd offered Sergio to join him, but the other man had refused and had been hiding in his room since. He was even more tense and nervous than usual and Fernando decided that it was for the better not to bother him.

He was laughing at the antics of the sitcom heroes when his doorbell rang. Taking another bite of his half-eaten piece of pizza, Fernando went to answer it. 

"Hello," he said, his mouth still full. 

"Fernando?" he heard a man's voice. 

"Yes, that's me." 

"It's José. Can I come in?" 

"José?" Fernando said, trying to remember all the Josés he knew. 

He heard Sergio's soft footsteps behind him and turned to him. The omega looked shaken. 

"Yes," he heard the visitor's voice, "José Ramos, Sergio's father." 

_Of course, Sergio's alpha dad._ "Uh," Fernando blinked, "Yeah, Mr. Ramos. I... Um, I didn't expect you." 

"I'd like to talk to you and to Sergio," José Ramos continued, "I know he's staying with you. Can I see him?" 

Fernando glanced back. Sergio shook his head frantically, his look pleading. 

"I-I don't think that's a good idea, Mr. Ramos," Fernando said, "I'm sorry, but I think you'd better leave." 

"Fernando, I understand, but I really have to talk to you. It concerns your campaign against _Green Haven_." 

Fernando took a breath. "Please wait a second," he said. 

"No," Sergio said immediately, "I don't want to see him. I-I can't. Please. I know for sure why he's here. It's because of Rene. He-he's come to tell me that I have to go back. Don't open the door. Please." 

For a second all the years were gone and Fernando once again was listening to a scared teenager pleading for help. He fought the urge to take him into his arms. 

"Sergio, hear me out," he said gently, "I won't let him in if you don't want to, I promise. But he said it concerns tomorrow's trial. And if he's really come to tell you have to go back, wouldn't it be better if we knew it?" 

Sergio closed his eyes and leaned back on the wall. "I don't want to see him," he whispered. 

"I know," Fernando said, "You don't have to. But think about it. If he's going to do something against you, we'd better know it." 

Sergio clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white, and didn't answer. 

"I'll tell him to leave," Fernando said. 

Sergio opened his eyes. "Let him in," he forced out. 

"Are you sure?" 

"No, but you're right. It'd be better to listen to what he's got to say." 

Fernando nodded and pushed the button again. 

"Come in, Mr. Ramos." 

Sergio turned back and went to the living room. A few seconds later his dad appeared in the corridor with a folder in his hand. 

José Ramos looked much older than Fernando remembered. He seemed less scary than he'd been when he was shouting angrily at Fernando all those years ago. His look was tired and sad. He greeted Fernando politely, thanked him and followed him to the living-room. 

Sergio was standing next to the table, making every effort to appear calm. His father, on the other hand, took an audible breath when he saw him and stopped in his tracks. 

"Sergio," he murmured, raising his hand as though he wanted to touch him. 

Sergio game no reaction, though Fernando noticed that his shoulders tensed even more. 

"Mr. Ramos," he said, "Maybe we should sit down and discuss what you've come here for?" 

José looked at him as though he had forgotten he was there. "Yeah, let's-let's sit down." 

"Sergio?" Fernando said quietly. 

The other man hesitated for a moment, but in the end came to sit next to Fernando. José sat in front of them and stared at his son. Sergio shifted uncomfortably. 

"Are you going to tell us what you've come for or not?" he finally snapped. 

José rubbed his moist eyes. "Rene came to visit us a couple of weeks ago," he said quietly. 

Sergio almost jumped up. Fernando caught his hand and Sergio squeezed it painfully. 

"Did he tell you to send me back to the center?" the omega asked. 

"He did," José answered. "He told us you're living with Fernando, said you're more unruly than before and asked us to send you to the center again. Your father agreed." Sergio's hold on Fernando's fingers tightened. "But I didn't," José finished. 

Fernando started breathing again, but Sergio's shoulders were still tense. 

"You didn't?" he said suspiciously, "Why?" 

"Because I've been living with that guilt for years, son. How could I do that again?" 

Sergio stared at him. "I don't believe you." 

"You have every reason not to believe me and to hate me, Sergio. I don't have a right to even ask for forgiveness, but I'll do everything to make sure you'll never have to live through that nightmare again. I made a mistake, but I won't repeat it." 

"Really?" Sergio said, "You realized that just now? Not when you took me there and they made me strip and started poking and prodding at me. I was terrified, I was calling you and I knew you were behind the wall, I knew you could hear me, but you didn't come, you left me there. You didn't believe me when I told you what was going on there, when I begged you to take me home, and now you come and expect me to be grateful that you hate me less than the rest of my family?" 

"Sergio, son," José said in a trembling voice, "I-I don't expect anything, it was the least I could do for you. I don't hate you, your brother, your sister and your father don't hate you. Rene... You know how he is, I'm afraid we made a few mistakes in his and Mirian's upbringing. He's too much of an alpha, he can't stand to have his words doubted, he wants to be right in everything, he believes he's always right, that's why he reacts so badly when you don't accept his authority. And your dad... it's very difficult for him to accept that we were wrong sending you to the center. It hurts too much. It took me years to accept it. You don't know how hard it is to be a parent who's ruined his kid's life." 

"I imagine almost as hard as _being_ the kid with a ruined life," Sergio said darkly. 

José bowed his head. "You're right. I'm sorry." He rubbed his face and took out some papers from his folder. "I want you to have these," he said, "Fernando, it's the certificate that Sergio's been in _Green Haven_ , his blood analysis with the traces of heat triggers and his doctor's conclusion about his general health after being released from the center. It might help you." 

___"Thank you," Fernando said, taking the documents._ _ _

___José nodded and got up. "Sergio," he said, "I don't know if you'll ever have it in your heart to forgive me, but I want you to know that I'll be there whenever you might need me. Goodbye, son."_ _ _

___Sergio didn't even look at him._ _ _

___Fernando accompanied José Ramos to the door. When he came back, he saw Sergio sitting with his head thrown back, staring at the ceiling._ _ _

___"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Fernando said quietly._ _ _

___Sergio blinked a few times, but kept looking up._ _ _

___"Are you okay?" Fernando asked._ _ _

___"Will these papers help?" Sergio said hoarsely._ _ _

___"They might," Fernando said._ _ _

___Sergio nodded and went to his room without looking at Fernando._ _ _

_____ _

~~~

At some point into the process Fernando realized that they were losing. His speech was choppy and turbulent, his questions weren't as sharp as usual and he burnt with hatred whenever _Green Haven_ representatives lied with practiced ease. His clients weren't at their best either. Sergio was too angry and aggressive, Roca was brash and curt and Prieto seemed unsure and relented under pressure from the defence attorneys.

 _Green Haven_ was prepared accordingly, Fernando had to give them that. They had good lawyers, they had perfect record, they had brought omegas who had been at the center as witnesses that no abuse had occurred during their time there. Their testimonies matched perfectly. Some of them were the people who had refused to help Fernando. They had been frightened or bribed, Fernando was sure of it. 

The hearing ended with the determination of the date of the next hearing. Fernando could tell that _Green Haven_ wasn't happy with that. They probably wanted to make a quick work of this. _Do they think I'm that incompetent?_ Fernando wondered. 

They most likely did if Varela's smirk was any indication. He caught up with Fernando and the omegas when they had just gone out of the courtroom. 

"Mr. Torres," he said sweetly, "Fancy meeting you here. Just wanted to make clear which one of these is the omega you told me about when you came and shamelessly lied to me." 

Before Fernando could think of an appropriate answer, Sergio, who had stopped in his tracks when Varela approached them, launched forward. 

"You-you don't dare talk about lying," he hissed in Varela's face, shaking with whole body, from anger or fear Fernando couldn't tell. "You lied there about everything, you lied about-about what happened, you're-you're..." 

"Excuse me," Varela said, pushing Sergio away with disgust, "Have we met?" 

"You..." Sergio spluttered. 

"Yeah, I lie, I got that," Varela said, "But listen here, uh, Sergio, is it? When I said that I didn't remember you, I didn't lie. I don't. You're just another omega for me, one of the many. Nothing special, little one." 

He brought his hand to pat Sergio's face, but Fernando caught it before he could do it, while Roca held Sergio back, though he looked more frozen than ready to pounce. 

"Mr. Varela," Fernando said pointedly, "I'd appreciate if you stayed away from my clients from now on." 

Varela freed his hand from Fernando's grasp. "As you wish, Mr. Torres. I don't think we're going to meet that often. Maybe after the next hearing we'll bid each other farewell." 

"We'll see," Fernando said. 

Varela laughed. "Let's not kid ourselves, Mr. Torres. You don't stand a chance. You know it." 

"See you next week, Mr. Varela," Fernando said and stared at him coldly until the man went away. 

"You okay, kid?" Roca said. 

For a second Fernando thought she was talking to him, but then he realized she had addressed Sergio. The other omega nodded, though he looked absolutely miserable. 

"He's right, isn't he?" Prieto said suddenly, "That man. We don't stand a chance." 

"We do," Fernando said as convincingly as he could. 

"Fernando, my husband and I broke up, because I agreed to help you. I'm living with my parents now, who alternate between trying to convince me to go back to my alpha and trying to convince me to find a new alpha. I need to know the truth." 

Fernando felt a sharp pang of guilt and crushed it mercilessly. "It's going to be very difficult for us," he said, "But we have to fight till the end." 

"Oh, give the boy a break, Alfredo," Roca said, "He's doing everything he can. I believe in you, Mr. Lawyer. We're going to show them who's the boss." 

"Thank you, Roca," Fernando smiled. 

"You're always welcome," she said, "Now go home and get some rest. You look awful." 

He felt awful too, as did Sergio, judging by his vacant look and trembling hands. He didn't speak for almost the whole drive home and when he finally did, it seemed like he was talking to himself. 

"He didn't remember me even when he saw me," he whispered, "I still see his face at times when I close my eyes, and he didn't remember me." 

"He was lying, Sergio," Fernando said. 

"No, he wasn't," the other man said, "I was just another omega for him to torment. There were many others. Some of them were speaking in their defence today." Sergio shook his head, smiling bitterly. "The court will sooner believe them than us. It's true, isn't it? Just keep your 'fight till the end' crap for Alfredo. I wear this fucking suit which I hate, see people I hate, talk about things I wanted to forget and I want to know if we have a chance." 

"If I said no," Fernando said slowly, "Would you quit?" 

Sergio thought for a moment. "No," he said. 

Fernando nodded gratefully, a small, tired smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "We have a very slim chance," he said, "But it's all we've got. We'll have to take it." 

"Then we will," Sergio said, "I will." 

Fernando's smile was a little wider this time.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full disclosure: I know nothing about how law works and how people talk in the courts. It was one of the reasons I felt like I'd reached a dead-end with this story. So you'll have to forgive me my mistakes. Though I can always justify myself that this is an alternate world and not everything works like it does in our world. You may have noticed that I haven't even specified what country they're living in, because I think that an A/B/O world would develop differently from ours and everything we know could have been much different. You know, butterfly effect.

Fernando had never worked this hard in his entire life. He slept very little at nights, ate irregularly and kept stressing over every little detail, trying to find holes in the opponent's defence. Sergio could probably see that he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, so he didn't antagonize him that much. They weren't suddenly best friends again, just co-existing amid awkward conversations and equally awkward silences, but at least they weren't fighting. Fernando suspected that was because neither of them had the time and the energy to fight. He sure didn't. 

However, despite all the hard work, Varela turned out to be right in the end. The judge went out to announce the verdict just after the fourth hearing. Fernando's heart was beating so loudly that he could barely hear what encouraging words Roca whispered in his ear. She seemed calm, calmer than Fernando anyway. Though even Prieto seemed calmer, resigned to the fact that they were going to lose, while Sergio feigned indifference. 

"We're going to win this," Fernando told himself. 

He knew he'd done everything and he'd done it very well. He was satisfied with his work and with the work Roca, Sergio and Alfredo had done. The sleepless nights, the time and energy spent on this couldn't be for nothing. 

He couldn't make himself focus on the judge's words. He knew he was being unprofessional, but he hadn't been this scared even during his first case. He found himself wishing the verdict wouldn't be announced now, but it was no use. The judge kept talking and he had to be approaching the end of his speech by now. Fernando forced himself to listen. 

"...the jury unanimously decided to dismiss the case due to lack of evidence. The omega care center _Green Haven_ is acquitted..." 

For a moment Fernando felt nothing. The defining bang of the judge's hammer, the happy voices of the _Green Haven_ representatives, Roca's reassuring pats on the back seemed to happen very far away and to another person. Then suddenly it hit him with the whole weight. He had failed. He had failed these people who believed in him, had failed the omegas who were at the center and those who were going to be. He fell back in his chair and closed his eyes. His head was heavy, his limbs were heavy, he felt like he could never get up again. He didn't know if he wanted to. 

A hand on his shoulder made him open his eyes. Roca was looking at him with a mixture of worry and pity in her eyes. 

"I'm sorry," Fernando said hoarsely. 

"You did everything you could do. You don't need to be," Roca said, "You know what you need? You need rest. You look like you may collapse any minute, kid, you should go home, have a hot drink and go to sleep for a day or two." 

Fernando doubted even a week or two of sleep could help him, but he just smiled weakly at the omega. Roca shook her head and looked back. 

"You," she told Sergio who was standing a little away, "Come here." 

Through half-opened eyes Fernando watched how Roca told Sergio something, threatening him with a finger and glancing at Fernando from time to time. Sergio only nodded, crossing his arms on his chest defensively. 

They went to the parking together. Fernando offered to take Roca and Alfredo home, but they refused. Alfredo's parents had come for him and Roca had some business in the city. Alfredo patted Fernando on the back with a forced smile and left. Roca pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, whispered a few comforting words in his ear and followed Alfredo. Fernando was left alone with Sergio and the intensified feeling of failure. 

"Hey," Sergio said quietly, "Are you going to stay here for the whole day?" 

Fernando shook his head. 

"Then let's go," Sergio said, "C'mon, I'll drive, give me the keys." 

Fernando didn't argue. He got in the car and closed his eyes. His temples were pounding. Sergio didn't talk, he turned on the radio on some folk music channel and lowered the volume. They drove like that for a while and Fernando was half-asleep when he heard Sergio's voice. 

"Are we going to appeal?" 

"I don't know," Fernando said with an effort. 

Nothing else was said until Fernando felt someone shaking his shoulder. He opened his eyes with difficulty and saw Sergio's face so up close that it almost startled him. 

"We're there," the omega said. 

"Can I stay here for a little while?" Fernando murmured. His headache hadn't relented, he felt weak and sick and sleepy. 

"No," Sergio said, dragging him out. 

Fernando gritted his teeth in pain, but let Sergio drag him to the elevator and then inside the apartment. 

"Go shower, I'll make you something to eat," Sergio said. 

"I'm not hungry. I want to sleep, my head hurts." 

"Go shower," Sergio said, "I'll make tea if you're not hungry." 

Fernando didn't have the strength to argue. He went to shower, then lay in his bed, pulling the cover to his chin. Sergio came a minute later with a tray. There was a cup of tea and sandwiches with chocolate spread. 

"You used to make me these when we were younger," Fernando remembered. 

"Yeah," Sergio said. 

Fernando drank the tea, ate the sandwiches and thanked Sergio. The omega nodded, brought him a glass of water with an Advil and waited till he swallowed it down. Then he put everything on the tray and went out. 

Fernando closed his eyes and curled up under the cover. Despite the tiredness sleep didn't came. The scenes from the court kept playing in his head, he saw Alfredo's desperate look, Roca's angry one and Sergio's vacant eyes, he heard their stories again and again. 

Suddenly he felt stupid for even thinking that he stood a chance against those big corporations, which could crush him like an ant. He was stupid and he'd dragged other people with him into the abyss. People who'd trusted him. 

He rubbed his face, willing himself to fall asleep. He could hear Sergio in the living room, walking, washing the dishes, watching TV on low volume. Fernando had never felt so alone in his life. 

His bedroom door suddenly opened and his head snapped to it in surprise. 

"Why aren't you sleeping?" Sergio said. 

"Can't sleep," Fernando mumbled. 

"You have to," Sergio said, "You need rest. I'll go turn off the TV." 

"Please stay," Fernando blurted out. 

Sergio looked at his feet. "I shouldn't," he said, but sat down on Fernando's bed. 

"Please talk to me," Fernando said, "Tell me something. Something happy." 

"Something happy," Sergio echoed, "Okay." He lay on his back next to Fernando. "I'll tell you about the day you got drunk on two beers." 

Fernando smiled, once he'd known that story by heart. 

"I was like fourteen," he protested, "And it was the first time I'd drunk so much." 

"It doesn't matter," Sergio said, "Nothing matters when you're so drunk, you sing serenades to street lamps." 

"That never happened." 

"I was there, I was sober and I remember. Don't interrupt me, I want to finish this story today." 

"Okay," Fernando said with a faint smile, closing his eyes. 

He still knew the story by heart, as he found out. Sergio had never missed the chance to tell it back then, but he still listened attentively to Sergio's increasingly colorful story, letting the familiar notes of his voice take him away from the real life, take him somewhere where there was no pain, no failure and no defeat. At some point when he was on the verge of sleep, it seemed to him that Sergio was caressing his hair, but he didn't have time to understand if it was real or not, because his exhausted mind chose that moment to surrender to sleep.

~~~

When he woke up, it was still light outside and it took him a few minutes to realize that he'd slept for almost a day and not an hour as he'd thought initially. Despite that he felt almost as knackered as the day before and wouldn't have gotten out of the bed if he weren't hungry.

Sergio had made tomato soup before leaving for work. Or maybe he'd made it the day before while Fernando was asleep. In any case it tasted great, though Fernando wasn't able to eat much. He checked his phone and saw that he had many voice messages from Israel, Maria, his father, Roca and even from Olalla. There were a few from numbers he didn't recognize. Suddenly he felt like he didn't want to hear them, didn't care about what anyone wanted to say to him. He just wanted to lie on his couch, watch crappy TV-shows and wait for Sergio. 

He fell asleep waiting. He woke up in the morning still waiting. Sergio's key turned in the lock only in the evening. Fernando jumped to his feet and fell back on the couch, dizzy. He closed his eyes and got up slowly, making to the door right when Sergio came in. 

"Where have you been?" Fernando asked immediately. 

Sergio raised his brows. "At work." 

"You're working the night too now?" 

"What are you, my wife?" Sergio said dismissively. 

Fernando was suddenly overwhelmed by the desire to punch him on the face and then cry his heart out, but he pulled himself together and slumped back on the couch. 

Sergio came out of the bathroom and went to the kitchen. 

"What have you eaten?" he called. 

"Soup," Fernando answered. 

"Really?" Sergio said, coming up to him and staring at him accusingly, "Because it is as I left it." 

"I've eaten a little," Fernando said stubbornly, "I wasn't hungry." 

Sergio huffed angrily, marched to the kitchen again and returned with a chocolate spread sandwich. "Here, eat this till I make something else," he said. 

Fernando obeyed wordlessly. Sergio's rough and awkward care almost moved him to tears. _Get a grip,_ he told himself. 

Sergio's something else turned out to be mashed potatoes. Fernando really tried to eat, but he could force down only less than half the portion Sergio had brought. 

"If you didn't like it, I can make you another chocolate spread sandwich," Sergio offered. 

Fernando shook his head. "I don't want to eat," he said. 

He didn't want to do anything. He just wanted to sleep, sleep and sleep and to wake up days or maybe months later. Or never. He surprised himself with his own thoughts. _What's wrong with me?_ he thought, but he didn't want to know the answer. 

Sergio put on a movie and sat next to him on the couch. At first Fernando was more or less following what was happening on the screen, but soon his eyelids started drooping and when he opened his eyes again, his head was on Sergio's shoulder. For a moment he wanted to draw away, but instead slipped lower and laid his head in Sergio's lap. The omega stiffened, but didn't say anything. Fernando almost felt sorry for him, so tense the other man was, but he felt too comfortable to get up. 

Finally after a few minutes of silent suffering Sergio pushed him away and stood up. Fernando caught his hand, still half-asleep. 

"No, don't leave," he pleaded. 

"I need a smoke," Sergio mumbled and strode to the balcony. 

When he returned and sat back on his place, Fernando again moved closer to him. 

"You smell of cigarettes," he said, wrinkling his nose. 

"Then stay the fuck away from me," Sergio growled. 

Fernando almost got a whiplash from the drastic change in his attitude and the words stumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them. 

"You can't keep doing this." 

"What?" Sergio barked. 

Every fiber of Fernando's being protested against continuing this conversation, but somehow he kept talking. 

"You know what. Coming and going whenever you want to without bothering to call me or to text me. Being nice to me for a while and then snapping at me out of the blue. We can't go on like this." 

Sergio stared at him through narrowed eyes and Fernando could practically see the walls that were rising between them. _He was being nice, taking care of you and you ruined everything, idiot,_ a nasty little voice screeched in his head and Fernando trembled. 

"Why do you think you can control where I go and what I do?" Sergio said angrily, "What do you think we are?" 

"I don't know what we are, but I know what I want us to be," Fernando answered quietly. 

He expected any kind of reaction from Sergio, but not whole-hearted laughter. 

"You..." Sergio wheezed, "You want a relationship? You think we can be in a relationship?" 

"That's not what I..." Fernando paused. "Is it so funny? You think we can't?" 

"Sure we can," Sergio leered, "Because last time it worked out so well." 

"We were kids, Sergio," Fernando said, "It's different now." 

"No, it's not," Sergio said, "How-how can you even think about it when... Don't you see how we... We-we can't be in a relationship. I don't want to be in any kind of relationship with you." 

"What do you want then?" Fernando cried, "Stay in my place, sleep with me, come and go whenever you want and not give a fuck to what I feel, what I want?" 

In his rage he hadn't even noticed how he'd jumped to his feet. 

"Yeah, that's pretty much what I want," Sergio said, standing up too and looking into Fernando's eyes. 

"I can't believe it," Fernando whispered. 

"And I can't believe you thought we could be in a relationship," Sergio said coldly, then laughed again. "Me? In a relationship with you? That's really funny. Too bad it's never. Going. To happen." 

Fernando felt like he was being punched in the stomach. His throat clogged up, his eyes started to burn, his hands shook. He felt sick. 

"Why are you doing this?" he croaked, "I've been nothing but good to you. Why are you doing this to me?" 

"Oh, poor little baby didn't get what he wanted for once," Sergio mocked, "You'll survive. I've been through much worse." 

"It's not my fault!" Fernando shouted, a sob tearing apart from his throat, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry you had to go through that. I'm sorry I didn't find you. I'm sorry I didn't suffer as much as you did. I'm so sorry, but it's not my fault. Why are you punishing me for it? It's not fair, Sergio. Tell me what I can do to make it up to you. Tell me what to do, but please don't treat me this way. It's not fair. I'm not to blame. Why are you punishing me?" 

He wiped the tears away from his cheeks, but new ones rolled down from his eyes. Sergio was just looking at him, his face unreadable. 

"Aren't you going to do something?" Fernando cried. 

"What do you want me to do?" Sergio said calmly. 

Fernando saw red. He clenched his fists and barely restrained himself from hitting the other man. 

"I want you to give me back my key, get out of my house and never return again," he spat out through gritted teeth. 

Sergio's eyes widened a little, but then he bowed his head, put his key on the table and went out of the house without a word. 

"It's not fair!" Fernando shouted when the door closed after him. 

He fell down on the floor, closing his eyes with his palm and wrapping an arm around his stomach. 

"Why?" he whispered, shaking violently with the whole body, "Not fair." 

He didn't even have the strength to get on the couch and curled up right there on the floor, staring at nothing for hours until he fell into a dreamless slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry?


End file.
